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.
The quote reflects on the complexity of self-awareness and the unpredictability of human behavior. It suggests that individuals often lack true knowledge of their own motivations and potential actions until they actually experience them. This uncertainty can lead to unexpected decisions and actions that may conflict with one's self-perception, making it difficult to attribute clear significance to those choices after they are made.
The excerpt emphasizes the importance of relationships in understanding oneself. It suggests that spouses, friends, and family play a crucial role in offering insight into who we are, often recognizing our qualities and tendencies better than we do. This external perspective helps us navigate our identities and actions, providing a vital frame of reference that shapes our understanding of ourselves.
