--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: An autobiography is not about pictures…" description: "\"An autobiography is not about pictures; it's about the stories; it's about honesty and as much truth as you can tell without coming too close to other ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/356/boris-becker-14572_autobiography_an-autobiography-is-not-about-pictures-i_305567.jpg" --- # An autobiography is not about pictures; it's about the… ![“An autobiography is not about pictures; it's about the stories; it's about honesty and as much truth as you can tell without coming too close to other people's privacy.” quote by Boris Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/356/boris-becker-14572_autobiography_an-autobiography-is-not-about-pictures-i_305567.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/356/boris-becker-14572_autobiography_an-autobiography-is-not-about-pictures-i_305567.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/356/boris-becker-14572_autobiography_an-autobiography-is-not-about-pictures-i_305567.jpg) > “An autobiography is not about pictures; it's about the stories; it's about honesty and as much truth as you can tell without coming too close to other people's privacy.” [Boris Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-becker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Autobiographies should prioritize truthful storytelling and respect for privacy over mere visual appeal. **In simple terms:** Tell honest stories, protect privacy. Key Takeaway Prioritize truth, respect privacy. Themes authenticity privacy storytelling self‑reflection Mood thoughtful introspective Type literary ethical When to use this quote - publishing memoirs - media interviews - public speaking - educational curricula Key Concepts biography ethical narrative personal boundaries Questions to Reflect On - How much personal detail is appropriate? - What responsibilities do authors have to others? A Different Perspective Balancing honesty with privacy can limit detail and audience intrigue. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Autobiography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/autobiography/) [Honesty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honesty/) [Honesty Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honesty-truth/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Privacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privacy/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [All stories should have some honesty and truth in them, otherwise you're just playing about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-kneale/all-stories-should-have-some-honesty-and-truth-in-them-otherwise-you/) [Nigel Kneale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-kneale/) > [Whatever games are played with us, we must play no games with ourselves, but deal in our privacy with the last honesty and truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/whatever-games-are-played-with-us-we-must-play-no-games-with/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/never-be-afraid-to-raise-your-voice-for-honesty-and-truth-and/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [I believe the foundation of love is based on honesty and truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-brown/i-believe-the-foundation-of-love-is-based-on-honesty-and-truth/) [Hannah Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-brown/) > [Whatever the situation, just take it for what it is. You don't have to make it worse or better than it is. It just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/whatever-the-situation-just-take-it-for-what-it-is-you-don-t-have-to/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [“I am a human, I have a voice and I'm not shy to raise it for honesty and truth against mistreatment and lies. I'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euginia-herlihy/i-am-a-human-i-have-a-voice-and-i-m-not-shy-to-raise-it-for-honesty/) [Euginia Herlihy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euginia-herlihy/) > [“Speaking frankly and speaking the truth are two different things entirely. Honesty is to truth as prow is to stern. Honesty appears first and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/speaking-frankly-and-speaking-the-truth-are-two-different-things/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Honesty and truth in writing is so important, and I think that YA writing above all is honest, and I think that appeals to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabaa-tahir/honesty-and-truth-in-writing-is-so-important-and-i-think-that-ya/) [Sabaa Tahir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabaa-tahir/) > [I used to be ashamed by the way that I grew up. I tried to lie my way through better times, but when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lopez/i-used-to-be-ashamed-by-the-way-that-i-grew-up-i-tried-to-lie-my-way/) [George Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lopez/) > [“You're my equal. And as much as that means we have each other's backs in public, it also means we that grant each other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/you-re-my-equal-and-as-much-as-that-means-we-have-each-other-s-backs/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) > [Three Very Important Words In Life.. HONESTY, TRUTH and RESPECT.. without this there's nothing..!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/three-very-important-words-in-life-honesty-truth-and-respect-without/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [All I'm ever looking for in my work in general is honesty and truth and people being real to themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/io-tillett-wright/all-i-m-ever-looking-for-in-my-work-in-general-is-honesty-and-truth/) [iO Tillett Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/io-tillett-wright/) > [“We all have a stake in the truth. Society functions based on an assumption that people will abide by their word - that truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-navarro/we-all-have-a-stake-in-the-truth-society-functions-based-on-an/) [Joe Navarro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-navarro/) > [A solid base for any comedy is just honesty and truth, and it coming from a real place. As surreal as this show gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elijah-wood/a-solid-base-for-any-comedy-is-just-honesty-and-truth-and-it-coming/) [Elijah Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elijah-wood/) > [Honesty is not the same as truth. That is the obstacle of the notion of relative truths. I would like to put my trust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/honesty-is-not-the-same-as-truth-that-is-the-obstacle-of-the-notion/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) ## More by Boris Becker > [Girls had never been important. I'd had a girlfriend or two and had liked them a lot but it wasn't love, because my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-becker/girls-had-never-been-important-i-d-had-a-girlfriend-or-two-and-had/) [Boris Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-becker/) > [So this is it. Match point for eternity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-becker/so-this-is-it-match-point-for-eternity/) [Boris Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-becker/) > [I want to be a hero, a small and good kind of hero, even though I know heroes have very short lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-becker/i-want-to-be-a-hero-a-small-and-good-kind-of-hero-even-though-i-know/) [Boris Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-becker/) > [How do you build a relationship when you've hardly shared a word but suddenly share a child? How do you love a daughter you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-becker/how-do-you-build-a-relationship-when-you-ve-hardly-shared-a-word-but/) [Boris Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-becker/) > [That's the hard part about sport: as men we haven't started to be in our prime, but as athletes we are old people. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-becker/that-s-the-hard-part-about-sport-as-men-we-haven-t-started-to-be-in/) [Boris Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-becker/) > [I go to London, my favourite city in the world, and I feel at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-becker/i-go-to-london-my-favourite-city-in-the-world-and-i-feel-at-home/) [Boris Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-becker/) > [I go to my favourite tournament, I talk about my favourite sport and it's just a great month of parading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-becker/i-go-to-my-favourite-tournament-i-talk-about-my-favourite-sport-and/) [Boris Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-becker/) > [We have a guy from Switzerland who is just playing the game in a way I haven't seen anyone - and I mean anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-becker/we-have-a-guy-from-switzerland-who-is-just-playing-the-game-in-a-way/) [Boris Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-becker/) > [Girls are a distraction and can easily cost points.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-becker/girls-are-a-distraction-and-can-easily-cost-points/) [Boris Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-becker/) > [Every time you are not practicing someone else is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-becker/every-time-you-are-not-practicing-someone-else-is/) [Boris Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-becker/) > [The fifth set is not about tennis, it's about nerves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-becker/the-fifth-set-is-not-about-tennis-it-s-about-nerves/) [Boris Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-becker/) > [I don't really care what the man on the street thinks. I never did anything to please him in the first place, and I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-becker/i-don-t-really-care-what-the-man-on-the-street-thinks-i-never-did/) [Boris Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-becker/) > [I didn't start a war. Nobody died.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-becker/i-didn-t-start-a-war-nobody-died/) [Boris Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-becker/) > [It's silly to say it about a tennis player, but I'm an unbelievable hero in Germany. And Germany needs heroes more than any place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-becker/it-s-silly-to-say-it-about-a-tennis-player-but-i-m-an-unbelievable/) [Boris Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-becker/) > [I believe that everything in life happens for a reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-becker/i-believe-that-everything-in-life-happens-for-a-reason/) [Boris Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-becker/) [Explore all 44 Boris Becker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-becker/) ## More Autobiography quotes > [I think anything that anyone writes thats any good is going to have a lot of autobiography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-adly-guirgis/i-think-anything-that-anyone-writes-thats-any-good-is-going-to-have-a/) [Stephen Adly Guirgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-adly-guirgis/) > [“I am not and autobiographical writer--one can't be without a solid and explicable self--and read all autobiographical writers with the same curiosity. What kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yiyun-li/i-am-not-and-autobiographical-writer-one-can-t-be-without-a-solid-and/) [Yiyun Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yiyun-li/) > [“Someday, I want to write an unauthorized autobiography of myself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcmullen-sullivan/someday-i-want-to-write-an-unauthorized-autobiography-of-myself/) [David McMullen-Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcmullen-sullivan/) > [“As well as writing, 2004 saw my first attempt at wine making: the elixir of life. Unfortunately, my effort tasted more like the elixir…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-briggs/as-well-as-writing-2004-saw-my-first-attempt-at-wine-making-the/) Craig Briggs > [I caught a cold and didn't have time to work on my autobiography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-doucet/i-caught-a-cold-and-didn-t-have-time-to-work-on-my-autobiography/) [Julie Doucet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-doucet/) > [Who ever heard, indeed, of an autobiography that was not (interesting)? I can recall none in all the literature of the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/who-ever-heard-indeed-of-an-autobiography-that-was-not-interesting-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't really think of my essays as being about myself. I know it sounds insane, but I just don't think of them as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sloane-crosley/i-don-t-really-think-of-my-essays-as-being-about-myself-i-know-it/) [Sloane Crosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sloane-crosley/) > [The way I would live my life is: never do something in real life that I would not want to write about in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddharth-katragadda/the-way-i-would-live-my-life-is-never-do-something-in-real-life-that/) [Siddharth Katragadda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddharth-katragadda/) > [biography cannot be separated from autobiography: that is, the life written about is inextricably entangled with the life of the biographer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-simon/biography-cannot-be-separated-from-autobiography-that-is-the-life/) Linda Simon > [I think I'm like most novelists in that my books have gotten farther and farther away from autobiography the longer I've been writing them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-i-m-like-most-novelists-in-that-my-books-have-gotten-farther/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [If you wish to understand me at all (and to write an autobiography is only to open a window into one's heart) you must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nellie-melba/if-you-wish-to-understand-me-at-all-and-to-write-an-autobiography-is/) [Nellie Melba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nellie-melba/) > [I want an autobiography without revealing any personal information.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-ross/i-want-an-autobiography-without-revealing-any-personal-information/) [Diana Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-ross/) > [I don't like the word 'autobiography.' I rather like the term 'autofiction.' The second you make a script out of the story of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjane-satrapi/i-don-t-like-the-word-autobiography-i-rather-like-the-term/) [Marjane Satrapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjane-satrapi/) > [Because I write fiction, I don't write autobiography, and to me they are very different things. The first-person narrative is a very intimate thing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-atkinson/because-i-write-fiction-i-don-t-write-autobiography-and-to-me-they/) [Kate Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-atkinson/) > [“I don't think anyone could write a completely honest autobiography. I am sure no one could bear to read it: My Past Was An…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/i-don-t-think-anyone-could-write-a-completely-honest-autobiography-i/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) [Browse all 642 Autobiography quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/autobiography/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "An autobiography is not about pictures; it's about the stories; it's about honesty and as much truth as you can tell without coming too close to other people's privacy.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Boris Becker" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-becker/an-autobiography-is-not-about-pictures-it-s-about-the-stories-it-s/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Autobiography" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-becker/an-autobiography-is-not-about-pictures-it-s-about-the-stories-it-s/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/356/boris-becker-14572_autobiography_an-autobiography-is-not-about-pictures-i_305567.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/356/boris-becker-14572_autobiography_an-autobiography-is-not-about-pictures-i_305567.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/356/boris-becker-14572_autobiography_an-autobiography-is-not-about-pictures-i_305567.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“An autobiography is not about pictures; it's about the stories; it's about honesty and as much truth as you…” — Boris Becker", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Boris Becker", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-becker/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "An autobiography is not about pictures;...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-becker/an-autobiography-is-not-about-pictures-it-s-about-the-stories-it-s/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-becker/an-autobiography-is-not-about-pictures-it-s-about-the-stories-it-s/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```