--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: All alone - shorn of context, without…" description: "\"All alone - shorn of context, without captions - a photograph is neither true nor false… For truth, properly considered, is about the relationship betw..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e59/errol-morris-2512_all-alone_all-alone-shorn-of-context-without-capti_1050985.jpg" --- # All alone - shorn of context, without captions - a… ![“All alone - shorn of context, without captions - a photograph is neither true nor false… For truth, properly considered, is about the relationship between language and the world, not about photographs and the world.” quote by Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e59/errol-morris-2512_all-alone_all-alone-shorn-of-context-without-capti_1050985.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e59/errol-morris-2512_all-alone_all-alone-shorn-of-context-without-capti_1050985.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e59/errol-morris-2512_all-alone_all-alone-shorn-of-context-without-capti_1050985.jpg) > “All alone - shorn of context, without captions - a photograph is neither true nor false… For truth, properly considered, is about the relationship between language and the world, not about photographs and the world.” [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A photograph alone cannot convey truth; truth emerges from how language describes the world, not from images themselves. **In simple terms:** Images need context; truth is in language and world relationship. Key Takeaway Seek context to understand images. Themes truth perception language media Mood analytical critical thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - journalism - documentary filmmaking - historical research - social media - education Key Concepts epistemology semiotics representation Questions to Reflect On - How does language shape what we consider true? - What responsibilities do creators have to provide context? A Different Perspective Photos can mislead without narrative; they are not self‑evident evidence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [All alone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/all-alone/) [Caption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caption/) [Captions Photograph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/captions-photograph-2513407/) [Context Captions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/context-captions-2513406/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Of context](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/of-context/) [Photograph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photograph/) [Photograph True](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photograph-true-2359220/) [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truth Properly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-properly-310447/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [You can talk about a caption underneath a photograph being true or false, because there is a linguistic element. You can claim that a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/you-can-talk-about-a-caption-underneath-a-photograph-being-true-or/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [I don't believe that you can talk about a photograph being true or false. I don't think such a claim has any meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/i-don-t-believe-that-you-can-talk-about-a-photograph-being-true-or/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [The pursuit of truth, properly considered, shouldn't stop short of insanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/the-pursuit-of-truth-properly-considered-shouldn-t-stop-short-of/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [The truth properly means the sum of all true propositions, what omniscience would assert, the whole ideal system of qualities andrelations which the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-santayana/the-truth-properly-means-the-sum-of-all-true-propositions-what/) [George Santayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-santayana/) > [But we never tell the truth. We cannot properly 'tell' the truth, because our words are crude tools to express something, 'the truth', which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-donnellan/but-we-never-tell-the-truth-we-cannot-properly-tell-the-truth-because/) [Declan Donnellan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-donnellan/) > [To get to know a truth properly, one must polemicize it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/novalis/to-get-to-know-a-truth-properly-one-must-polemicize-it/) [Novalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/novalis/) > [If you want to trick someone with a photograph, there are lots of easy ways to do it. You don't need Photoshop. You don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/if-you-want-to-trick-someone-with-a-photograph-there-are-lots-of-easy/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [All these years I've sat in airports and kind of drawn people and put like Far Side captions on them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-foxworthy/all-these-years-i-ve-sat-in-airports-and-kind-of-drawn-people-and-put/) [Jeff Foxworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-foxworthy/) > [What we must demand from the photographer is the ability to put such a caption beneath his picture as will rescue it from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-benjamin/what-we-must-demand-from-the-photographer-is-the-ability-to-put-such/) [Walter Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-benjamin/) > [If you are deaf, you need captions for spoken elements. If you are blind, you need voiced descriptions of Web contents and spoken renderings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinton-cerf/if-you-are-deaf-you-need-captions-for-spoken-elements-if-you-are/) [Vinton Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinton-cerf/) > [The bottom half of the page had descended into a doodle of a tiny man giving the middle finger to a giant, angry eagle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/the-bottom-half-of-the-page-had-descended-into-a-doodle-of-a-tiny-man/) [Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/) > [I don't like captions. I prefer people to look at my pictures and invent their own stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josef-koudelka/i-don-t-like-captions-i-prefer-people-to-look-at-my-pictures-and/) [Josef Koudelka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josef-koudelka/) > [I have lived my life very openly and have never hidden the fact that I am gay. Apparently the prerequisite to being a gay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-knight/i-have-lived-my-life-very-openly-and-have-never-hidden-the-fact-that/) [Jonathan Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-knight/) > [When people caption their photos as 'I'm fine without you' or along the lines of that, you know that they really aren't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-people-caption-their-photos-as-i-m-fine-without-you-or-along-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Despite his reputation as one of America's foremost "serious" filmmakers, Oliver Stone's name under the "director" caption does not guarantee a good movie. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-berardinelli/despite-his-reputation-as-one-of-america-s-foremost-serious/) [James Berardinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-berardinelli/) ## More by Errol Morris > [God is greater than anything that man can do or has done. He is not undone by just a train of powder. "Our God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/god-is-greater-than-anything-that-man-can-do-or-has-done-he-is-not/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [In the case of The Thin Blue Line, I was surprised actually by many things. I was shooting down in Texas where the actual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/in-the-case-of-the-thin-blue-line-i-was-surprised-actually-by-many/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [When 'The Thin Blue Line' came out, I was criticized by many people for using reenactments, as if I wasn't dedicated to the truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/when-the-thin-blue-line-came-out-i-was-criticized-by-many-people-for/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [There is such a thing as truth, but we have a vested interest in not seeing it, in avoiding it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/there-is-such-a-thing-as-truth-but-we-have-a-vested-interest-in-not/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [Simply coming to the perpetrator and delivering the message is Nozick's definition of revenge. And in that sense, Adi is exacting revenge. When people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/simply-coming-to-the-perpetrator-and-delivering-the-message-is-nozick/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [The proper route to an understanding of the world is an examination of our errors about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/the-proper-route-to-an-understanding-of-the-world-is-an-examination/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [The chance that any given sentence is a lie, rather than a truth, I think, is fairly great. An intentional lie, a self-deception, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/the-chance-that-any-given-sentence-is-a-lie-rather-than-a-truth-i/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [ Maybe \[killers\] is one of my real passions. Why deny it? ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/maybe-killers-is-one-of-my-real-passions-why-deny-it/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [I envy certain writers, because there are writers who do go into a kind of different zone, where the writing isn't controlled anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/i-envy-certain-writers-because-there-are-writers-who-do-go-into-a/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [Right now, we live in bad times in this country, and the fact that there are filmmakers addressing political and social issues is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/right-now-we-live-in-bad-times-in-this-country-and-the-fact-that/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [You can talk about a caption underneath a photograph being true or false, because there is a linguistic element. You can claim that a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/you-can-talk-about-a-caption-underneath-a-photograph-being-true-or/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [The fact that the world is utterly insane makes it tolerable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/the-fact-that-the-world-is-utterly-insane-makes-it-tolerable/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [Appearing on the front page of the New York Times even given the state of papers today is still something that's seen by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/appearing-on-the-front-page-of-the-new-york-times-even-given-the/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [You can't tell by looking at a film-clip whether it is a drama or a documentary without knowing how it was produced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/you-can-t-tell-by-looking-at-a-film-clip-whether-it-is-a-drama-or-a/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [Tell me what's wrong with this idea: If you're selling to somebody, find someone like that person to sell to them. If you're trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/tell-me-what-s-wrong-with-this-idea-if-you-re-selling-to-somebody/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) [Explore all 163 Errol Morris quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) ## More All alone quotes > [I'm stranded all alone in the gas station of love, and I have to use the self service pump.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-stranded-all-alone-in-the-gas-station-of-love-and-i-have-to-use/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Memory. All alone in the moonlight I can smile at the old days I was beautiful then.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-nunn/memory-all-alone-in-the-moonlight-i-can-smile-at-the-old-days-i-was/) [Trevor Nunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-nunn/) > [You staying home all alone on New Year's Eve? Unthinkable. Take my advice the countdown should be shared with someone, or it's just another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-staying-home-all-alone-on-new-year-s-eve-unthinkable-take-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In Prison Wearily, drearily, Half the day long, Flap the great banners High over the stone; Strangely and eerily Sounds the wind's song, Bending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/in-prison-wearily-drearily-half-the-day-long-flap-the-great-banners/) [William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) > [Those struggling with life-threatening thoughts do not feel connected to others. They feel all alone- even alone in the midst of a crowd.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/june-hunt/those-struggling-with-life-threatening-thoughts-do-not-feel-connected/) [June Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/june-hunt/) > [Who will cry for the little boy, lost and all alone? Who will cry for the little boy, abandoned without his own? Who will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antwone-fisher/who-will-cry-for-the-little-boy-lost-and-all-alone-who-will-cry-for/) [Antwone Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antwone-fisher/) > [There's much more. There's all that goes beyond – all ... that is Elsewhere – and all that goes back, and back, and back.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-lowry/there-s-much-more-there-s-all-that-goes-beyond-all-that-is-elsewhere/) [Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-lowry/) > [I crawled back into myself all alone, just delighted to observe that I was even more miserable than before, because I had brought a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-ferdinand-celine/i-crawled-back-into-myself-all-alone-just-delighted-to-observe-that-i/) [Louis-Ferdinand Celine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-ferdinand-celine/) > [His thumb went back and forth over the satin, as if he were rubbing her hip as he had when they’d been together, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/his-thumb-went-back-and-forth-over-the-satin-as-if-he-were-rubbing/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [Doubt is a central factor all the time. There's always the doubt: What the hell am I doing out here in the middle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-welliver/doubt-is-a-central-factor-all-the-time-there-s-always-the-doubt-what/) [Neil Welliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-welliver/) > [The stories never said why she was wicked. It was enough to be an old woman, enough to be all alone, enough to look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-stories-never-said-why-she-was-wicked-it-was-enough-to-be-an-old/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [And I have the others in me. Even when I’m far away from them, I am forced to live with them. Even when I’m…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/and-i-have-the-others-in-me-even-when-i-m-far-away-from-them-i-am/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [Me and my shadow Strolling down the avenue Oh, me and my shadow Not a soul to tell our troubles to And when it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-rose/me-and-my-shadow-strolling-down-the-avenue-oh-me-and-my-shadow-not-a/) [Billy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-rose/) > [I think every family has that moment when the parents realize they need help and think, Oh my gosh. We cannot do this all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nia-long/i-think-every-family-has-that-moment-when-the-parents-realize-they/) [Nia Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nia-long/) > [Everyone, at some point in their lives, wakes up in the middle of the night with the feeling that they are all alone in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-at-some-point-in-their-lives-wakes-up-in-the-middle-of-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 214 All alone quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/all-alone/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "All alone - shorn of context, without captions - a photograph is neither true nor false… For truth, properly considered, is about the relationship between language and the world, not about photographs and the world.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Errol Morris" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/all-alone-shorn-of-context-without-captions-a-photograph-is-neither/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "All alone" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/all-alone-shorn-of-context-without-captions-a-photograph-is-neither/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e59/errol-morris-2512_all-alone_all-alone-shorn-of-context-without-capti_1050985.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e59/errol-morris-2512_all-alone_all-alone-shorn-of-context-without-capti_1050985.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e59/errol-morris-2512_all-alone_all-alone-shorn-of-context-without-capti_1050985.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“All alone - shorn of context, without captions - a photograph is neither true nor false… For truth, properly…” — Errol Morris", "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": "Errol Morris", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "All alone - shorn of context,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/all-alone-shorn-of-context-without-captions-a-photograph-is-neither/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/all-alone-shorn-of-context-without-captions-a-photograph-is-neither/#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 } } ] } ```