"Not a single man on earth knows from his own experience the how and where of his birth, only from tradition, which is often very uncertain"

This quote by E. T. A. Hoffmann speaks with the unpredictability of our origins. It recommends that no one can truly know the information of their own birth, as it is something that is only given through custom. This suggests that the info we receive about our own birth is frequently unreliable and unsure. It is a pointer that our understanding of our own history is minimal and that we need to be open to the possibility that our understanding of our own past may be insufficient. Hoffmann's quote also talks to the concept that our own identity is something that is continuously progressing and that our understanding of our own history is continuously being shaped by the stories we inform ourselves. Ultimately, this quote acts as a suggestion that our own history is something that is continuously in flux which we must be open to the possibility that our understanding of our own past may be incomplete.