"The minute you or anybody else knows what you are you are not it, you are what you or anybody else knows you are and as everything in living is made up of finding out what you are it is extraordinarily difficult really not to know what you are and yet to be that thing"

This quote by Gertrude Stein speaks to the difficulty of being real to oneself in a world that is continuously trying to define us. It suggests that the moment we or anybody else understands what we are, we are no longer that thing. We become what others think we are. This is due to the fact that our identity is constantly being formed by the opinions of others. It is difficult to remain true to ourselves and not be influenced by the viewpoints of others. We need to aim to be our genuine selves and not be swayed by the viewpoints of others. This quote motivates us to be conscious of our own identity and to remain true to ourselves in spite of the pressures of society.