--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Men substitute words for reality and then…" description: "\"Men substitute words for reality and then argue about the words.\" — Edwin Howard Armstrong" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c7/edwin-howard-armstrong-67466_argue_men-substitute-words-for-reality-and-the_1792352.png" --- # Men substitute words for reality and then argue about the… ![“Men substitute words for reality and then argue about the words.” quote by Edwin Howard Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c7/edwin-howard-armstrong-67466_argue_men-substitute-words-for-reality-and-the_1792352.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c7/edwin-howard-armstrong-67466_argue_men-substitute-words-for-reality-and-the_1792352.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c7/edwin-howard-armstrong-67466_argue_men-substitute-words-for-reality-and-the_1792352.png) > “Men substitute words for reality and then argue about the words.” [Edwin Howard Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-howard-armstrong/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Language can distort reality, leading to debates focused on terminology rather than truth. **In simple terms:** Words can mask reality, causing arguments about terms. Key Takeaway Question the words you use. Themes communication philosophy truth Mood critical thoughtful Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - political discourse - media analysis - personal relationships Key Concepts semantics perception argumentation Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure clarity in discussion? - When do words become barriers? A Different Perspective Words may be necessary but can also obscure meaning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Argue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/argue/) [Argue Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/argue-words-1957512/) [Arguing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arguing/) [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men Substitute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-substitute-1957513/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Reality Argue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality-argue-352982/) [Substitutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/substitutes/) [Words Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words-reality-1386301/) ## Related quotes > [Religion is the subjective experience. Science is the objective reality. To argue either is a ridiculous waste of time and energy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/religion-is-the-subjective-experience-science-is-the-objective/) [Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/) > [To argue with reality is to argue with God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/to-argue-with-reality-is-to-argue-with-god/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [What is the good of words if they aren't important enough to quarrel over? Why do we choose one word more than another if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-is-the-good-of-words-if-they-aren-t-important-enough-to-quarrel/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Words are anchors for sense experience, but the experience is not the reality, and the word is not the experience. Language is thus two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-seymour/words-are-anchors-for-sense-experience-but-the-experience-is-not-the/) [John Seymour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-seymour/) > [If you believe what you say, words will become reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingrid-betancourt/if-you-believe-what-you-say-words-will-become-reality/) [Ingrid Betancourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingrid-betancourt/) > [We can't say what enlightenment is, we can't say what it isn't, because these are words and words have nothing to do with reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/we-can-t-say-what-enlightenment-is-we-can-t-say-what-it-isn-t-because/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“Thus I progressed on the surface of life, in the realm of words as it were, never in reality. All those books barely read,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/thus-i-progressed-on-the-surface-of-life-in-the-realm-of-words-as-it-2/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Don't use your words to describe your reality. Use your words to create your desired reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-sanchez/don-t-use-your-words-to-describe-your-reality-use-your-words-to/) [Bo Sanchez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-sanchez/) > [Reality is not digital, an on-off state, but analog. Something gradual. In other words, reality is a quality that things possess in the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/reality-is-not-digital-an-on-off-state-but-analog-something-gradual/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [When we mistake words for reality, we are subject to the tyranny of words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taitetsu-unno/when-we-mistake-words-for-reality-we-are-subject-to-the-tyranny-of/) [Taitetsu Unno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taitetsu-unno/) > [“If you believe what you say, words become reality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingrid-betancourt/if-you-believe-what-you-say-words-become-reality/) [Ingrid Betancourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingrid-betancourt/) > [“We do not observe reality, we observe our REACTIONS to it. In other words: Reality is, in essence, neutral. YOU give it meaning.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordana-biernat/we-do-not-observe-reality-we-observe-our-reactions-to-it-in-other/) [Gordana Biernat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordana-biernat/) > [“...be aware of the fact that words, in and by themselves, have no reality, except in terms of the context in which they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/be-aware-of-the-fact-that-words-in-and-by-themselves-have-no-reality/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [I have no words for my reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-frisch/i-have-no-words-for-my-reality/) [Max Frisch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-frisch/) > [The reality we can put into words is never reality itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-heisenberg/the-reality-we-can-put-into-words-is-never-reality-itself/) [Werner Heisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-heisenberg/) ## More by Edwin Howard Armstrong > [The world, I think, will wait a long time for Nikola Tesla's equal in achievement and imagination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-howard-armstrong/the-world-i-think-will-wait-a-long-time-for-nikola-tesla-s-equal-in/) [Edwin Howard Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-howard-armstrong/) > [Not only did he teach by accomplishment, but he taught by the inspiration of a marvelous imagination that refused to accept the permanence of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-howard-armstrong/not-only-did-he-teach-by-accomplishment-but-he-taught-by-the/) [Edwin Howard Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-howard-armstrong/) > [Anyone who has had actual contact with the making of the inventions that built the radio art knows that these inventions have been the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-howard-armstrong/anyone-who-has-had-actual-contact-with-the-making-of-the-inventions/) [Edwin Howard Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-howard-armstrong/) [Explore all 4 Edwin Howard Armstrong quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-howard-armstrong/) ## More Argue quotes > [I'd rather argue with you than kiss someone else](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fad-ibra/i-d-rather-argue-with-you-than-kiss-someone-else/) [Fad Ibra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fad-ibra/) > [I do wish you wouldn't argue with me when I'm knitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-durrell/i-do-wish-you-wouldn-t-argue-with-me-when-i-m-knitting/) [Gerald Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-durrell/) > [“But that is not true for all folk. 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Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [Has learned that sometimes it is just easier to agree with someone, than to argue a stupid point they think they have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hussein-nishah/has-learned-that-sometimes-it-is-just-easier-to-agree-with-someone/) [Hussein Nishah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hussein-nishah/) > [If you dont know, please ask. If you dont agree, argue. If you dont like it, please say it. But don't sit there quiet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-dont-know-please-ask-if-you-dont-agree-argue-if-you-dont-like/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [America gave the world the notion of the melting pot - an alchemical cooking device wherein diverse ethnic and religious groups voluntarily mix together,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-krastev/america-gave-the-world-the-notion-of-the-melting-pot-an-alchemical/) [Ivan Krastev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-krastev/) > [Don't worry when I argue with you. Worry when I stop because it means there's nothing left to fight for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/don-t-worry-when-i-argue-with-you-worry-when-i-stop-because-it-means/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [“Be quick to resolve conflicts before they mature to become wars. The energetic crocodile was once a delicate egg!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/be-quick-to-resolve-conflicts-before-they-mature-to-become-wars-the/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [I taught my executive team how to argue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-mulally/i-taught-my-executive-team-how-to-argue/) [Alan Mulally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-mulally/) > [“People argue between Pele or Maradona. Di Stéfano is the best, much more complete.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pel/people-argue-between-pele-or-maradona-di-st-fano-is-the-best-much/) [Pelé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pel/) > [“The more women argue, loudly, against feminism, the more they both prove it exists and that they enjoy its hard-won privileges.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitlin-moran/the-more-women-argue-loudly-against-feminism-the-more-they-both-prove/) [Caitlin Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitlin-moran/) [Browse all 642 Argue quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/argue/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Men substitute words for reality and then argue about the words.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Edwin Howard Armstrong" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-howard-armstrong/men-substitute-words-for-reality-and-then-argue-about-the-words/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Argue" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-howard-armstrong/men-substitute-words-for-reality-and-then-argue-about-the-words/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c7/edwin-howard-armstrong-67466_argue_men-substitute-words-for-reality-and-the_1792352.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c7/edwin-howard-armstrong-67466_argue_men-substitute-words-for-reality-and-the_1792352.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c7/edwin-howard-armstrong-67466_argue_men-substitute-words-for-reality-and-the_1792352.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Men substitute words for reality and then argue about the words.” — Edwin Howard Armstrong", "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": "Edwin Howard Armstrong", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-howard-armstrong/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Men substitute words for reality and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-howard-armstrong/men-substitute-words-for-reality-and-then-argue-about-the-words/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-howard-armstrong/men-substitute-words-for-reality-and-then-argue-about-the-words/#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 } } ] } ```