 Stein maintained throughout her work that each human being has an individual personal “core” (Kern der Person, see 1931: 122[183]; Persönlichkeitskern; 1922: 80[92]) that remains unchanged and that contains potentiality that can be actualized. For the personal core, Stein drew on Teresa of Avila (“castle of the soul”, die Seelenburg, Stein 1950/2006: 315[370]), John of the Cross, Max Scheler, and Hedwig Conrad-Martius. The person “unfolds” or “ripens” but the personal core is never completely “disclosed or disclosable” (1931: 139[200]). This core is directly knowable only by God. We only actualize some of it in our finite lives, but, in contrast to Heidegger, we actually are this deeper core. Our being has a wholeness which our finite life does not exhaust.