In the quote from James Patterson's "Murder Games," the author questions whether it is possible to truly assess someone's character based solely on their actions. It suggests that observing behavior alone might not provide a complete or accurate understanding of a person's intentions or motives.
The lesson emphasized is that relying solely on outward actions can be misleading. To genuinely judge someone, one may need to look beyond what they do and consider the context, reasons, and underlying factors that influence their behavior.