--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The human heart is unsearchable. Who is…" description: "\"“The human heart is unsearchable. Who is to fathom it?”\" — Wilkie Collins" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/027/wilkie-collins-2078_heart_the-human-heart-is-unsearchable-who-is-t_152026.png" --- # The human heart is unsearchable. Who is to fathom it? ![“The human heart is unsearchable. Who is to fathom it?” quote by Wilkie Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/027/wilkie-collins-2078_heart_the-human-heart-is-unsearchable-who-is-t_152026.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/027/wilkie-collins-2078_heart_the-human-heart-is-unsearchable-who-is-t_152026.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/027/wilkie-collins-2078_heart_the-human-heart-is-unsearchable-who-is-t_152026.png) > ““The human heart is unsearchable. Who is to fathom it?”” [Wilkie Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilkie-collins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The human heart is unknowable and beyond full comprehension. **In simple terms:** Hearts are mysterious. Key Takeaway Accept emotional complexity. Themes emotion mystery human nature Mood thoughtful introspective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - relationships - self‑discovery - literary analysis Key Concepts psychology introspection Questions to Reflect On - What makes the heart unknowable? - Can we ever truly understand others? A Different Perspective Some emotions can be understood with effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human/) [Human heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-heart/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) ## Related quotes > [“I hope I take up the cause of all oppressed people rather warmly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilkie-collins/i-hope-i-take-up-the-cause-of-all-oppressed-people-rather-warmly/) [Wilkie Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilkie-collins/) > [“But compare the hardest day's work you ever did with the idleness that splits flowers and pokes its way into spiders' stomachs, and thank…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilkie-collins/but-compare-the-hardest-day-s-work-you-ever-did-with-the-idleness/) [Wilkie Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilkie-collins/) > [“If he was right, here was our quiet English house suddenly invaded by a devilish Indian Diamond - bringing after it a conspiracy of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilkie-collins/if-he-was-right-here-was-our-quiet-english-house-suddenly-invaded-by/) [Wilkie Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilkie-collins/) > [“Before her angry impulses got the better of her, she admonished herself that she was born to win and that one did not win…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-godbersen/before-her-angry-impulses-got-the-better-of-her-she-admonished/) [Anna Godbersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-godbersen/) > [“Love only yourself a little bit longer, until you can't stand not to love someone else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiera-cass/love-only-yourself-a-little-bit-longer-until-you-can-t-stand-not-to/) [Kiera Cass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiera-cass/) > [“And you're late." "I prefer chronologically challenged.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-aveyard/and-you-re-late-i-prefer-chronologically-challenged/) [Victoria Aveyard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-aveyard/) > [“The morning was full of sunlight and hope.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-chopin/the-morning-was-full-of-sunlight-and-hope/) [Kate Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-chopin/) > [“You are descended from warriors. An endless parade of warriors. You have been alive for a billion years, an unbroken line of DNA. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lake/you-are-descended-from-warriors-an-endless-parade-of-warriors-you/) [Nick Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lake/) > [“Do you know what you sound like?' said Mrs. Oliver. 'A computer. You know. You're programming yourself. That's what they call it, isn't it?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/do-you-know-what-you-sound-like-said-mrs-oliver-a-computer-you-know/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“Are you running away?" "No, not today.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-blundell/are-you-running-away-no-not-today/) [Judy Blundell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-blundell/) > [“That’s the thing about evil. You don’t need to be it to do it. It doesn’t have to consume all of you. It can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-lu/that-s-the-thing-about-evil-you-don-t-need-to-be-it-to-do-it-it-doesn/) [Marie Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-lu/) > [“What a privilege it is to live now, at just this moment, and to be able to go anywhere…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-godbersen/what-a-privilege-it-is-to-live-now-at-just-this-moment-and-to-be-able/) [Anna Godbersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-godbersen/) > [“He knew he was sounding a little Holden Caulfield-esque calling everyone a phony, but he really did think everyone was a phony.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-mlynowski/he-knew-he-was-sounding-a-little-holden-caulfield-esque-calling/) [Sarah Mlynowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-mlynowski/) > [“Stories are for eternity, when memory is erased, when there is nothing to remember except the story.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-brien/stories-are-for-eternity-when-memory-is-erased-when-there-is-nothing/) [Tim O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-brien/) > [“The world is full of places I haven't been.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-blundell/the-world-is-full-of-places-i-haven-t-been/) [Judy Blundell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-blundell/) ## More by Wilkie Collins > [“There is nothing serious in mortality! Solomon in all his glory was Solomon with the elements of the contemptible lurking in every fold of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilkie-collins/there-is-nothing-serious-in-mortality-solomon-in-all-his-glory-was/) [Wilkie Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilkie-collins/) > [“Let Lady Glyde's maid come in, Louis. Stop! Do her shoes creak?" I was obliged to ask the question. Creaking shoes invariably upset me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilkie-collins/let-lady-glyde-s-maid-come-in-louis-stop-do-her-shoes-creak-i-was/) [Wilkie Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilkie-collins/) > [Let the music speak to us of tonight, in a happier language than our own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilkie-collins/let-the-music-speak-to-us-of-tonight-in-a-happier-language-than-our/) [Wilkie Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilkie-collins/) > [The woman who first gives life, light, and form to our shadowy conceptions of beauty, fills a void in our spiritual nature that has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilkie-collins/the-woman-who-first-gives-life-light-and-form-to-our-shadowy/) [Wilkie Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilkie-collins/) > [“I smell your cigar. Delicious! Give me one directly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilkie-collins/i-smell-your-cigar-delicious-give-me-one-directly/) [Wilkie Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilkie-collins/) > [“I dread the beginning of her new life more than words can tell, but I see some hope for her if she travels -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilkie-collins/i-dread-the-beginning-of-her-new-life-more-than-words-can-tell-but-i/) [Wilkie Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilkie-collins/) > [“It is quite possible that I may be altogether wrong in this idea. My own impression, however, is, that I am right.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilkie-collins/it-is-quite-possible-that-i-may-be-altogether-wrong-in-this-idea-my/) [Wilkie Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilkie-collins/) > [I sadly want a reform in the construction of children. Nature's only idea seems to be to make them machines for the production of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilkie-collins/i-sadly-want-a-reform-in-the-construction-of-children-nature-s-only/) [Wilkie Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilkie-collins/) > [Habits of literary composition are perfectly familiar to me. One of the rarest of all the intellectual accomplishments that a man can possess is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilkie-collins/habits-of-literary-composition-are-perfectly-familiar-to-me-one-of/) [Wilkie Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilkie-collins/) > [“He has that quiet deference, that look of pleased, attentive interest, in listening to a woman, which, say what we may, we can none…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilkie-collins/he-has-that-quiet-deference-that-look-of-pleased-attentive-interest/) [Wilkie Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilkie-collins/) > [“The dress of Virtue, in our parts, was cotton print. I had silk.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilkie-collins/the-dress-of-virtue-in-our-parts-was-cotton-print-i-had-silk/) [Wilkie Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilkie-collins/) > [“It is not for you to say - you Englishmen, who have conquered your freedom so long ago, that you have conveniently forgotten what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilkie-collins/it-is-not-for-you-to-say-you-englishmen-who-have-conquered-your/) [Wilkie Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilkie-collins/) > [“Tell him next, that crimes cause their own detection. There's another bit of copy-book morality for you, Fosco. Crimes cause their own detection. What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilkie-collins/tell-him-next-that-crimes-cause-their-own-detection-there-s-another/) [Wilkie Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilkie-collins/) > [“Shall I confess it, Mr. Hartright? I sadly want a reform in the construction of children. Nature's only idea seems to be to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilkie-collins/shall-i-confess-it-mr-hartright-i-sadly-want-a-reform-in-the/) [Wilkie Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilkie-collins/) > [The mystery which underlies the beauty of women is never raised above the reach of all expression until it has claimed kindred with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilkie-collins/the-mystery-which-underlies-the-beauty-of-women-is-never-raised-above/) [Wilkie Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilkie-collins/) [Explore all 183 Wilkie Collins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilkie-collins/) ## More Heart quotes > [Against his own will, almost, Will felt himself understanding; he would have done anything, he thought, told any lie, taken any risk, to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/against-his-own-will-almost-will-felt-himself-understanding-he-would/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“He held her like a new woman and what she felt felt almost as good as love had, and each of them called it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dunn/he-held-her-like-a-new-woman-and-what-she-felt-felt-almost-as-good-as/) [Stephen Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dunn/) > [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [My heart jumps out of its cage to see what the fuss is about. Damn thing. Always so hopeful, but my voice hides it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-wylie/my-heart-jumps-out-of-its-cage-to-see-what-the-fuss-is-about-damn/) [Sarah Wylie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-wylie/) > [I love because there is not enough room in my heart to hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rena-kornreich-gelissen/i-love-because-there-is-not-enough-room-in-my-heart-to-hate/) Rena Kornreich Gelissen > [“He didn't break my heart. No one can break your heart except you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/he-didn-t-break-my-heart-no-one-can-break-your-heart-except-you/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [The United States cannot and should not discriminate on the basis of religion. The free exercise of religion is at the very heart of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-united-states-cannot-and-should-not-discriminate-on-the-basis-of/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [Love is like that, fragile and light. No wonder it rests upon our hearts in intangible moments, bids us follow fleeting thoughts and ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-like-that-fragile-and-light-no-wonder-it-rests-upon-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When we are capable of living in the moment free from the tyranny of "shoulds," free from the nagging sensation that this moment isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-z-borysenko/when-we-are-capable-of-living-in-the-moment-free-from-the-tyranny-of/) [Joan Z. Borysenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-z-borysenko/) > [My father longed for a better life for us, and when I was nine he got a job as a heart surgeon in Belfast.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-melua/my-father-longed-for-a-better-life-for-us-and-when-i-was-nine-he-got/) [Katie Melua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-melua/) > [O tiger's heart wrapped in a woman's hide!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-tiger-s-heart-wrapped-in-a-woman-s-hide/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Love will fan the flame, and that flame will warm the heart that's waiting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-w-smith/love-will-fan-the-flame-and-that-flame-will-warm-the-heart-that-s/) [Michael W. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-w-smith/) > [Always have the fear of God in your heart, and remember that God is always with you, everywhere, whether you are walking or sitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennadius-of-constantinople/always-have-the-fear-of-god-in-your-heart-and-remember-that-god-is/) [Gennadius of Constantinople](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennadius-of-constantinople/) > [Set NOT your hearts on the flowers of this world. They shall fade and die. Prize the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/set-not-your-hearts-on-the-flowers-of-this-world-they-shall-fade-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“She couldn't break the orbit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-schwab/she-couldn-t-break-the-orbit/) [Victoria Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-schwab/) [Browse all 45,172 Heart quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The human heart is unsearchable. Who is to fathom it?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Wilkie Collins" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilkie-collins/the-human-heart-is-unsearchable-who-is-to-fathom-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Heart" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilkie-collins/the-human-heart-is-unsearchable-who-is-to-fathom-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/027/wilkie-collins-2078_heart_the-human-heart-is-unsearchable-who-is-t_152026.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/027/wilkie-collins-2078_heart_the-human-heart-is-unsearchable-who-is-t_152026.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/027/wilkie-collins-2078_heart_the-human-heart-is-unsearchable-who-is-t_152026.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The human heart is unsearchable. Who is to fathom it?” — Wilkie Collins", "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": "Wilkie Collins", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilkie-collins/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The human heart is unsearchable. Who...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilkie-collins/the-human-heart-is-unsearchable-who-is-to-fathom-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilkie-collins/the-human-heart-is-unsearchable-who-is-to-fathom-it/#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 } } ] } ```