Relativism posits that "truth and moral values are not absolute but are [pertinent] to the persons or groups holding them" (American Heritage Dictionary, 3rd Edition). This concept is fundamental to 20th-century modernism. As the century began, relativism was a fresh idea, just gaining traction, emerging after the 19th-century crisis of faith, which was fueled by Darwin’s discoveries. Relativism proposes that instead of seeking an overarching, absolute truth, like those previously asserted by the Church, individuals might find their own relevant truths within their consciousness. At the end of the 19th century, philosophers such as Matthew Arnold proposed that to make the consciousness "worthy" of such responsibility, one should cultivate genius by filling the mind with "the best that has been known and said in the world" (as Arnold expressed in 1873). However, the question arose: who would determine what was best? The dimensions of this idea—what was right and how much the consciousness could handle—became central issues surrounding the theory of relativism. Artists and writers explored this new theory in various contexts, probing its depths and assessing its validity. Pirandello also engaged with this concept. In an 1893 essay titled "Art and Consciousness Today," he wrote,

In minds and consciousnesses, an extraordinary confusion prevails. Within their internal mirrors, the most disparate figures, all in chaotic postures, as if burdened with intolerable weights, are reflected, each offering different advice. Whom should we heed? To whom should we cling? The insistence of one piece of advice momentarily overrides the voices of all others, and we follow it for a while with the unhealthy impulsiveness of someone seeking an escape yet unaware of its location—we feel bewildered, lost in a vast, blind labyrinth surrounded on all sides by impenetrable mystery. There are numerous paths, but which one is true?—The old standards have crumbled, and new ones have not yet emerged and become well-established. It’s understandable that the idea of the relativity of all things has so deeply infiltrated us that it nearly robs us of the ability to judge.

The term "relativity" does not explicitly appear in Pirandello’s play Right You Are, If You Think You Are, but it forms the foundation of its plot, situating it within the context of perceptions about others. Characters like Amalia, Dina, Agazzi, and others are fixated on discovering the absolute truth about Signora Frola and Ponza. However, an earthquake has obliterated their past, leading to conflicting accounts. Laudisi embraces relativism; he is modern, aligned with contemporary thought. None of the other characters is "prepared" to accept that there is no singular absolute truth. Consequently, Laudisi represents the forefront of modernist thinking, while the other characters remain blind (or veiled, like the wife at the play’s conclusion) to reality—or rather, to multiple realities.

In addition to its modernist theme of relativism, Right You Are, If You Think You Are encompasses a more traditional theme. Signora Frola passionately urges the townspeople to allow her family to live undisturbed. She argues that they are unaware of the damage caused by their relentless questioning and intrusion into her family's private matters. At the time he wrote this play, Pirandello was dealing with the presence of his severely mentally ill wife, which made him acutely aware of the need for privacy and tranquility. His wife, Antonietta, suffered from paranoia and intense jealousy, often causing scenes that mortified the shy and reserved Pirandello. To shield himself from public scrutiny, he isolated himself and concocted explanations for his frequent separations from his wife, whether she left him or drove him and their children from their home. In Right You Are, If You Think You Are, everyone except Laudisi (the playwright’s alter ego) violates social norms by probing into the lives of Signora Frola and Ponza. The play deliberately withholds the truth from the audience, compelling them to respect personal privacy. Although moralist plays were out of vogue by 1917, Pirandello’s work is moralistic in its emphasis on respecting personal privacy as a fundamental principle of proper human interaction.