"Human beings, from their own point of view, are very different than what people see"
About this Quote
The intent feels less like a plea for sympathy and more like an insistence on perspective. “From their own point of view” is doing the heavy lifting: it’s a reminder that selfhood is narrated in first person, with motives and context, while everyone else receives you in third person, as evidence. That asymmetry is why conflict escalates so easily; we defend intention while others judge impact. Russell’s phrasing also resists the comforting idea that there’s a single authentic version of a person waiting to be discovered. Instead, there are competing edits: the private cut (memory, rationalization, shame, desire) and the public cut (behavior, reputation, vibe).
The cultural context is a celebrity talking against the flattening machinery of image. Actors are commodified as surfaces, and Russell’s career-long persona (unfussy masculinity, cool competence) is itself a kind of mask the public collaborates in. The subtext: you can’t actually know anyone from the highlight reel, and you can’t fully know yourself without admitting how you’re perceived. That tension isn’t tragic; it’s just the price of being seen.
Quote Details
| Topic | Deep |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite | Cite this Quote |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Russell, Kurt. (n.d.). Human beings, from their own point of view, are very different than what people see. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/human-beings-from-their-own-point-of-view-are-70706/
Chicago Style
Russell, Kurt. "Human beings, from their own point of view, are very different than what people see." FixQuotes. Accessed February 3, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/human-beings-from-their-own-point-of-view-are-70706/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Human beings, from their own point of view, are very different than what people see." FixQuotes, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/human-beings-from-their-own-point-of-view-are-70706/. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.










