And enough for me that when my hand touched your shoulder, you leaned on me; and when you felt me slip away, you called my name.
Orson Scott CardRead
But the truth is that no person ever understands another, from beginning to end of life, there is no truth that can be known, only the story we imagine to be true, the story they really believe to be true about themselves; and all of them lies.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that true understanding between individuals is impossible, as everyone has their own subjective narrative and perceptions of truth.
Orson Scott Card's quote delves into the complexities of human perception and understanding. It highlights the idea that our grasp of others is limited and colored by our own personal experiences and biases. Each individual's understanding of their life and the lives of others is shaped by a unique narrative that is often disconnected from an objective truth. This raises questions about authenticity, self-perception, and the nature of truth itself, suggesting that the stories we tell ourselves and others may not hold any objective reality but are rather constructs of our perceptions and beliefs.
Themes
TruthUnderstandingPerceptionNarrativeHuman Experience
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the nature of relationships, one could use this quote to emphasize how personal narratives shape understanding.
More from Orson Scott Card
All quotes →The world is always a democracy in times of flux, and the man with the best voice will win.
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Never mind that the story had turned out to be lies and foolishness—there was always folks stupid enough to say, Where there's smoke there's fire, when the saying should have been, Where there's scandalous lies there's always malicious believers and spreaders-around, regardless of evidence.
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The lives of all people flow through time, and, regardless of how brutal one moment may be, how filled with grief or pain or fear, time flows through all lives equally.
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You take a step, then another. That's the journey. But to take a step with your eyes open is not a journey at all, it's a remaking of your own mind.
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I've had your tears with mine, and you've had mine with yours. I think that's more intimate even than a kiss.
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