You are never able to write to friends
about that of yourself
that was most interesting to them
because you don’t really know
what’s interesting about yourself.

Man ist niemals imstande, dem Freunde
das von sich zu schreiben,
was ihm am interessantesten war,
weil man eigentlich selbst nicht weiß,
was an einem interessant ist.

-Letter to Lavater, December 3, 1781
Translation by Goethe Global.

No. 3978