--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Once upon a time, I thought denial was a…" description: "\"Once upon a time, I thought denial was a river in Egypt. It's actually the attitude of the Abbott government.\" — Bill Shorten" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/483/bill-shorten-14126_attitude_once-upon-a-time-i-thought-denial-was-a_2012138.jpg" --- # Once upon a time, I thought denial was a river in Egypt… ![“Once upon a time, I thought denial was a river in Egypt. It's actually the attitude of the Abbott government.” quote by Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/483/bill-shorten-14126_attitude_once-upon-a-time-i-thought-denial-was-a_2012138.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/483/bill-shorten-14126_attitude_once-upon-a-time-i-thought-denial-was-a_2012138.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/483/bill-shorten-14126_attitude_once-upon-a-time-i-thought-denial-was-a_2012138.jpg) > “Once upon a time, I thought denial was a river in Egypt. It's actually the attitude of the Abbott government.” [Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Denial is likened to a river, but it actually reflects government attitudes toward truth **In simple terms:** Denial is a governmental mindset Key Takeaway Challenge official narratives, demand transparency Themes politics truth denial Mood critical determined Type political activist When to use this quote - Election campaigns - Policy debates - Activist movements - Journalistic reporting Key Concepts Public accountability Media literacy Political rhetoric Questions to Reflect On - How to expose hidden governmental denial? - What role does media play in revealing truth? A Different Perspective Denial may be entrenched in institutional culture ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attitude/) [Denial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/denial/) [Egypt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/egypt/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Once upon a time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/once-upon-a-time/) [Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rivers/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [It doesn't matter if the truth is right there out in front of your eyes. You will find a way, a mechanism, in order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bassem-youssef/it-doesn-t-matter-if-the-truth-is-right-there-out-in-front-of-your/) [Bassem Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bassem-youssef/) > [And the fear of not being is born in that space. 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