--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Words exist. What are they made of? Air…" description: "\"“Words exist. What are they made of? Air under pressure? Ink? Some instances of the word \"cat\" are made of ink, and some are made of bursts of acoustic..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2c/daniel-c-dennett-17655_different-world_words-exist-what-are-they-made-of-air-un_1940212.jpg" --- # Words exist. What are they made of? Air under pressure?… ![“Words exist. What are they made of? Air under pressure? Ink? Some instances of the word "cat" are made of ink, and some are made of bursts of acoustic energy in the atmosphere, and some are made of patterns of glowing dots on computer screens, and some occur silently in thoughts, and what they…” quote by Daniel C. Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2c/daniel-c-dennett-17655_different-world_words-exist-what-are-they-made-of-air-un_1940212.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2c/daniel-c-dennett-17655_different-world_words-exist-what-are-they-made-of-air-un_1940212.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2c/daniel-c-dennett-17655_different-world_words-exist-what-are-they-made-of-air-un_1940212.jpg) > ““Words exist. What are they made of? Air under pressure? Ink? Some instances of the word "cat" are made of ink, and some are made of bursts of acoustic energy in the atmosphere, and some are made of patterns of glowing dots on computer screens, and some occur silently in thoughts, and what they have in common is just that they count as "the same" (tokens of the same type, as philosophers say) say in a system of symbols known as a language. Words are such familiar items in our language-drenched world that we tend to think of them as if they were unproblematically tangible things - as real as teacups and raindrops - but they are in fact quite abstract, even more abstract than voices or songs or haircuts or opportunities (and what are they made off?). What are words? Words are basically information packets of some sort, recipes for using one's vocal apparatus and ears (or hands or eyes) - and brains - in quite specific ways. A world is more than a sound or a spelling. For instance, fast sounds the same and is spelled the same in English and German, but has completely different meanings and roles in the two languages. Two different worlds, sharing only some of their surface properties. Words exist. Do memes exist? Yes, because words exist, and words are memes that can be pronounced.”” [Daniel C. Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-c-dennett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Words are abstract symbols that convey meaning, existing as physical media, sound, or mental constructs, and function as information packets in language. **In simple terms:** Words are abstract symbols that carry meaning. Key Takeaway Treat words as flexible information units. Themes language semantics abstraction information philosophy Mood curious analytical Type philosophical explanatory When to use this quote - writing - speech - digital communication - teaching - translation Key Concepts symbolic representation information theory memetics Questions to Reflect On - How do different media affect word meaning? - What makes a word a meme? A Different Perspective Words can be misinterpreted across cultures and contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Different world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-world/) [Different worlds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-worlds/) [Exist Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exist-words-2967110/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Memes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memes/) [Two different worlds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two-different-worlds/) [Word Cat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/word-cat-3086850/) [Words Basically](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words-basically-3086851/) [Words Exist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words-exist-544514/) [Words Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words-words/) ## Related quotes > [“Words are not just wind. Words have something to say. But if what they have to say is not fixed, then do they really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuang-tzu/words-are-not-just-wind-words-have-something-to-say-but-if-what-they/) [Chuang Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuang-tzu/) > [I just see myself as someone who has a bit of a way with words, basically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/i-just-see-myself-as-someone-who-has-a-bit-of-a-way-with-words/) [Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/) > [“Being there doesn't mean I'm present. I exist only in words. I want to be transmuted fully to white page and ink.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-joseph-cribbin/being-there-doesn-t-mean-i-m-present-i-exist-only-in-words-i-want-to/) [David Joseph Cribbin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-joseph-cribbin/) > [Bad words don't exist, but words with bad intentions behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-fontanarrosa/bad-words-don-t-exist-but-words-with-bad-intentions-behind/) [Roberto Fontanarrosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-fontanarrosa/) > [“The words. Why did they have to exist? Without words, the Fuhrer was nothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/the-words-why-did-they-have-to-exist-without-words-the-fuhrer-was/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [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/) > [It's very hard to find your own words - and you don't actually exist until you have your own words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-peterson/it-s-very-hard-to-find-your-own-words-and-you-don-t-actually-exist/) [Jordan Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-peterson/) > [I used to keep a dictionary and work with it and then I realized there are more words that exist in the English language…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-used-to-keep-a-dictionary-and-work-with-it-and-then-i-realized/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [“He had figured out that thoughts exist in silence and have no colour or sound or shape until they are turned into words. Spoken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-leganski/he-had-figured-out-that-thoughts-exist-in-silence-and-have-no-colour/) [Rita Leganski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-leganski/) > [The language itself is what gets me interested in writing. It's weird to me that words exist. Never a dull moment with words. They're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-belz/the-language-itself-is-what-gets-me-interested-in-writing-it-s-weird/) [Aaron Belz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-belz/) > [“Of all the words that exist in any language only a bare minority are pure, unadulterated, original roots. The majority are "coined" words, forms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-pei/of-all-the-words-that-exist-in-any-language-only-a-bare-minority-are/) [Mario Pei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-pei/) > [“Words do exist to soothe the savage beast. One just needs to find the right words.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kc-riley-gyer/words-do-exist-to-soothe-the-savage-beast-one-just-needs-to-find-the/) [KC Riley-Gyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kc-riley-gyer/) > [Words exist because of meaning; once you’ve gotten the meaning, you can forget the words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhuangzi/words-exist-because-of-meaning-once-you-ve-gotten-the-meaning-you-can/) [Zhuangzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhuangzi/) > [ I'm saying that I lived too long. You want them to actually miss you \[...\] I truly believe there exists some combination of words.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-white/i-m-saying-that-i-lived-too-long-you-want-them-to-actually-miss-you-i/) [Walter White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-white/) > [“Words exist only in theory. And then one ordinary day you run into a word that exists only in theory. And you meet it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-alire-s-enz/words-exist-only-in-theory-and-then-one-ordinary-day-you-run-into-a/) [Benjamin Alire Sáenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-alire-s-enz/) ## More by Daniel C. Dennett > [“It is not “scientism” to concede the objectivity and precision of good science, any more than it is history worship to concede that Napoleon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-c-dennett/it-is-not-scientism-to-concede-the-objectivity-and-precision-of-good/) [Daniel C. Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-c-dennett/) > [“Some years ago, there was a lovely philosopher of science and journalist in Italy named Giulio Giorello, and he did an interview with me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-c-dennett/some-years-ago-there-was-a-lovely-philosopher-of-science-and/) [Daniel C. 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I have sacred”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-c-dennett/atheists-and-agnostics-can-have-sacred-values-values-that-are-simply/) [Daniel C. Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-c-dennett/) [Explore all 36 Daniel C. Dennett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-c-dennett/) ## More Different world quotes > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. 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They crated their own!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanae-el-kherchi/two-entirely-different-people-they-were-from-two-different-worlds/) [Hanae El Kherchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanae-el-kherchi/) > [It's a different world for those of us who are doing this for a living. Certainly a lot different than my dad had to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-buck/it-s-a-different-world-for-those-of-us-who-are-doing-this-for-a/) [Joe Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-buck/) > [We have to know that the bad guys are not different from us in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stellan-skarsgard/we-have-to-know-that-the-bad-guys-are-not-different-from-us-in-the/) [Stellan Skarsgard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stellan-skarsgard/) > [It's hard for two people to love each other when they live in two different worlds. 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Air under pressure? Ink? Some instances of the word \"cat\" are made of ink, and some are made of bursts of acoustic energy in the atmosphere, and some are made of patterns of glowing dots on computer screens, and some occur silently in thoughts, and what they have in common is just that they count as \"the same\" (tokens of the same type, as philosophers say) say in a system of symbols known as a language. Words are such familiar items in our language-drenched world that we tend to think of them as if they were unproblematically tangible things - as real as teacups and raindrops - but they are in fact quite abstract, even more abstract than voices or songs or haircuts or opportunities (and what are they made off?). What are words? Words are basically information packets of some sort, recipes for using one's vocal apparatus and ears (or hands or eyes) - and brains - in quite specific ways. A world is more than a sound or a spelling. For instance, fast sounds the same and is spelled the same in English and German, but has completely different meanings and roles in the two languages. Two different worlds, sharing only some of their surface properties. Words exist. Do memes exist? Yes, because words exist, and words are memes that can be pronounced.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Daniel C. Dennett" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-c-dennett/words-exist-what-are-they-made-of-air-under-pressure-ink-some/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Different world" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-c-dennett/words-exist-what-are-they-made-of-air-under-pressure-ink-some/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2c/daniel-c-dennett-17655_different-world_words-exist-what-are-they-made-of-air-un_1940212.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2c/daniel-c-dennett-17655_different-world_words-exist-what-are-they-made-of-air-un_1940212.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2c/daniel-c-dennett-17655_different-world_words-exist-what-are-they-made-of-air-un_1940212.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Words exist. What are they made of? Air under pressure? Ink? 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