Truth is, I'll never know all there is to know about you just as

“Truth is, I’ll never know all there is to know about you just as you will never know all there is to know about me. Humans are by nature too complicated to be understood fully. So, we can choose either to approach our fellow human beings with suspicion or to approach them with an open mind, a dash of optimism and a great deal of candour.” Thus spoke Tom Hanks, an artist beloved not merely for his craft but for his profound humanity. In these words, he gives voice to a truth as ancient as civilization itself: that human beings are mysteries to one another, vessels of light and shadow, ever-changing, ever-deep. His insight is not cold philosophy but warm wisdom — a call to meet others not with fear, but with openness, grace, and humility.

The origin of this quote lies not in a scholar’s text but in the soul of a man who has spent a lifetime embodying human stories. Through his roles — the castaway, the soldier, the ordinary man who becomes extraordinary — Tom Hanks has looked into the depths of human nature and found there both frailty and greatness. He reminds us that no heart can be fully known, not even by love, not even by time. The human spirit, with its contradictions and unseen wounds, cannot be mapped like a landscape; it must be encountered like a mystery — with reverence and patience.

In saying that humans are “too complicated to be understood fully,” Hanks does not lament, but celebrates this truth. For if we could know each other completely, the wonder of discovery would vanish, and the sacred dance of empathy would end. To live among others is to live among mysteries, and that is the beauty of it. Yet he warns us that there are two paths before every heart: suspicion or openness. The first path, born of fear, turns the world into a battlefield of strangers. The second, born of faith, transforms it into a community of souls. The choice, he says, belongs to us — whether we will build walls of distrust or bridges of understanding.

History bears witness to both paths. Consider the tale of Nelson Mandela, who, after twenty-seven years in prison, emerged not with bitterness but with forgiveness. He understood what Hanks speaks of — that no man’s heart can be known in full, not even an enemy’s. Rather than view his oppressors through suspicion, he chose openness and candour, and in doing so, he healed a nation. He proved that optimism and honesty are not signs of naivety, but of strength. His vision, like Hanks’ words, reminds us that understanding is not the same as agreement, and that compassion does not require comprehension.

There is also an echo of ancient wisdom in these words. The philosophers of old — from Socrates to Confucius — taught that self-knowledge is endless, and therefore, knowledge of others must be approached with humility. Even in friendship and love, the ancients knew, a part of the soul remains veiled, known only to itself and the divine. To live wisely is to accept this veil, not as a barrier, but as a bond — for it teaches us to approach each other with curiosity instead of judgment, and with candour instead of pretense.

The meaning of Hanks’ quote reaches deep into the moral fabric of modern life. We live in an age of swift opinions and shallow understanding, where people are often reduced to labels — “us” and “them,” “right” and “wrong.” Hanks’ words are a plea to resist this temptation, to remember that each person carries unseen struggles, silent joys, and untold stories. To approach others with suspicion is to see them as threats; to approach them with candour and optimism is to see them as fellow travelers, flawed but worthy. It is not a call for blind trust, but for brave kindness, for the courage to believe that what unites us is greater than what divides us.

Therefore, O seeker of wisdom, take this teaching to heart. When you meet another — whether friend or stranger, ally or foe — remember that they are as complex and unknowable as you. Do not rush to judge what you cannot understand. Instead, listen deeply, speak truthfully, and seek to see the light that flickers within them, however dim. Approach the world not as a courtroom, but as a conversation. Give others the grace you would wish for yourself: the grace of being seen without being simplified.

For as Tom Hanks reminds us, the mystery of humanity is not a curse but a blessing. It is what makes life rich, what turns acquaintance into discovery and conflict into compassion. So let your heart be open, your words be honest, and your gaze be kind. In this way, you will honor both the unknowable depths of others and the infinite depths within yourself. For though we may never fully understand one another, in choosing openness over suspicion, we come closer to what truly matters — the shared humanity that binds all souls together.