--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Words were not things you could control…" description: "\"“Words were not things you could control. Not always.”\" — Benjamin Alire Sáenz" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/076/benjamin-alire-s-enz-1125_control_words-were-not-things-you-could-control_2261080.png" --- # Words were not things you could control. Not always. ![“Words were not things you could control. Not always.” quote by Benjamin Alire Sáenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/076/benjamin-alire-s-enz-1125_control_words-were-not-things-you-could-control_2261080.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/076/benjamin-alire-s-enz-1125_control_words-were-not-things-you-could-control_2261080.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/076/benjamin-alire-s-enz-1125_control_words-were-not-things-you-could-control_2261080.png) > ““Words were not things you could control. Not always.”” [Benjamin Alire Sáenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-alire-s-enz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Words cannot be fully controlled; their impact often exceeds intention. **In simple terms:** Words are unpredictable. Key Takeaway Choose language mindfully. Themes communication control uncertainty responsibility Mood reflective cautious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - writers - parents - politicians - teachers - friends Key Concepts semantic fluidity intentionality misinterpretation Questions to Reflect On - Can you think of a time words escaped your control? - How do you manage unintended meanings? A Different Perspective Words can be misused despite best efforts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words/) ## Related quotes > [Words, however, are things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bulwer-lytton-1st-earl-of-lytton/words-however-are-things/) [Robert Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Earl of Lytton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bulwer-lytton-1st-earl-of-lytton/) > [“The words go together. Some things are created to be together.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/the-words-go-together-some-things-are-created-to-be-together/) [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) > [Only worry about things that are within your control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-fitch/only-worry-about-things-that-are-within-your-control/) [Jon Fitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-fitch/) > [“There are some things you can’t learn about just through words. There are some things you can’t really understand until you’re living them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-dare/there-are-some-things-you-can-t-learn-about-just-through-words-there/) [Kim Dare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-dare/) > [A poet's words are of things that do not exist without the words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stevens/a-poet-s-words-are-of-things-that-do-not-exist-without-the-words/) [Wallace Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stevens/) > [I am convinced that words are things, and we simply don't have the machinery to measure what they are. I believe that words are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-am-convinced-that-words-are-things-and-we-simply-don-t-have-the/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [“Does it matter that people and things Have words, Have names? If not, Why read any book? A litany of useless letters Detached from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stasia-ward-kehoe/does-it-matter-that-people-and-things-have-words-have-names-if-not/) [Stasia Ward Kehoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stasia-ward-kehoe/) > [“I am a writer. I have been a writer my whole life. Words are the only things I have ever believed in. These words……](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-sandene/i-am-a-writer-i-have-been-a-writer-my-whole-life-words-are-the-only/) Rachel Sandene > [Falsehood is never in words; it is in things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/falsehood-is-never-in-words-it-is-in-things/) [Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/) > [Those things for which we find words, are things we have already overcome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/those-things-for-which-we-find-words-are-things-we-have-already/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [In good writing, words become one with things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/in-good-writing-words-become-one-with-things/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [It was a joy! Words weren't dull, words were things that could make your mind hum. If you read them and let yourself feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/it-was-a-joy-words-weren-t-dull-words-were-things-that-could-make/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [We all had to search for more words to describe things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-gunn/we-all-had-to-search-for-more-words-to-describe-things/) [Tim Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-gunn/) > [“I'm an inclusionist. I've always divided up (very, very broadly, I admit) the artistic instincts into the inclusionist and the exclusionist. The exclusionist is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/i-m-an-inclusionist-i-ve-always-divided-up-very-very-broadly-i-admit/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [“Words are things. A small drip of ink, falling like dew upon a thought, produces that which makes thousands, perhaps even millions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryon/words-are-things-a-small-drip-of-ink-falling-like-dew-upon-a-thought/) Bryon ## More by Benjamin Alire Sáenz > [“If we studied birds ,maybe we could learn to be free.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-alire-s-enz/if-we-studied-birds-maybe-we-could-learn-to-be-free/) [Benjamin Alire Sáenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-alire-s-enz/) > [“It felt like there was a whole world inside her.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-alire-s-enz/it-felt-like-there-was-a-whole-world-inside-her/) [Benjamin Alire Sáenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-alire-s-enz/) > [“Breakfast seemed to be a good time for throwing your emotions around. 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I'm thinking I could spend the rest of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-alire-s-enz/i-don-t-like-remembering-remembering-makes-me-feel-things-i-don-t/) [Benjamin Alire Saenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-alire-s-enz/) > [“In the distance, I can see a storm coming in, the dark clouds and the lightning on the horizon moving towards me. I wait…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-alire-s-enz/in-the-distance-i-can-see-a-storm-coming-in-the-dark-clouds-and-the/) [Benjamin Alire Sáenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-alire-s-enz/) > [“I kind of liked his voice. He sounded like he had a cold, you know, like he was about to lose his voice. "You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-alire-s-enz/i-kind-of-liked-his-voice-he-sounded-like-he-had-a-cold-you-know-like/) [Benjamin Alire Sáenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-alire-s-enz/) > [“I have this idea that the reason we have dreams is that we're thinking about things that we don't know we're thinking about-and those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-alire-s-enz/i-have-this-idea-that-the-reason-we-have-dreams-is-that-we-re/) [Benjamin Alire Sáenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-alire-s-enz/) > [“Everyone expected something from me. Something I just couldn't give.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-alire-s-enz/everyone-expected-something-from-me-something-i-just-couldn-t-give/) [Benjamin Alire Sáenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-alire-s-enz/) [Explore all 283 Benjamin Alire Sáenz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-alire-s-enz/) ## More Control quotes > [We have to get control of our borders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-coffman/we-have-to-get-control-of-our-borders/) [Mike Coffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-coffman/) > [Grit and self-control are related, but they're not the same thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/grit-and-self-control-are-related-but-they-re-not-the-same-thing/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [“You can't control who loves you...you can't let someone love you anymore than you can make someone love you”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-harmon/you-can-t-control-who-loves-you-you-can-t-let-someone-love-you/) [Amy Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-harmon/) > [I thought I fought a really good Orlando Salido. I never let him get into his fight. I knew what I needed to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikey-garcia/i-thought-i-fought-a-really-good-orlando-salido-i-never-let-him-get/) [Mikey Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikey-garcia/) > [Don't think you can...know you can! You human body is the most impressive tool you'll ever own. Even if you can't control everything, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-hardy/don-t-think-you-can-know-you-can-you-human-body-is-the-most/) [Jeff Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hardy/) > [If you have everything under control, you're not moving fast enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-andretti/if-you-have-everything-under-control-you-re-not-moving-fast-enough/) [Mario Andretti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-andretti/) > [“Without time management, you lose control of your life and do what other people tell you to do. You lose control and become a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-miller/without-time-management-you-lose-control-of-your-life-and-do-what/) Thomas Miller > [I started off as a model maker, so the first part of my career was a model maker and then a motion control camera…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-knoll/i-started-off-as-a-model-maker-so-the-first-part-of-my-career-was-a/) [John Knoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knoll/) > [Many of us rely on our own illusion of control. But when God makes it known to you that you're not the one steering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/many-of-us-rely-on-our-own-illusion-of-control-but-when-god-makes-it/) [Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/) > [In Congress, Florida Republicans worked with the Trump administration to secure funding for coastal restoration projects following the devastating impacts of Hurricanes Irma and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-waltz/in-congress-florida-republicans-worked-with-the-trump-administration/) [Michael Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-waltz/) > [“He who can destroy a thing has the real control of it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/he-who-can-destroy-a-thing-has-the-real-control-of-it/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [Sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying or getting overly angry or to maintain control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-haysbert/sometimes-you-have-to-laugh-to-keep-from-crying-or-getting-overly/) [Dennis Haysbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-haysbert/) > [My sister-in-law works for a group that supports orphanages in Cairo. She and her colleagues take care of children left behind by circumstances beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-elbaradei/my-sister-in-law-works-for-a-group-that-supports-orphanages-in-cairo/) [Mohamed ElBaradei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-elbaradei/) > [Some nights I'm funny with the between-song commentary, some nights I'm not. I have no control over this. I pace the stage a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-berman/some-nights-i-m-funny-with-the-between-song-commentary-some-nights-i/) [David Berman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-berman/) > [“Control never be a means to any practical end. It can never be a means to anything but more control… Like punk.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/control-never-be-a-means-to-any-practical-end-it-can-never-be-a-means/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) [Browse all 6,032 Control quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Words were not things you could control. 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