--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Everyone, left to his own devices, forms…" description: "\"Everyone, left to his own devices, forms an idea about what goes on in language which is very far from the truth.\" — Ferdinand de Saussure" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b08/ferdinand-de-saussure-19549_devices_everyone-left-to-his-own-devices-forms-a_1204509.jpg" --- # Everyone, left to his own devices, forms an idea about… ![“Everyone, left to his own devices, forms an idea about what goes on in language which is very far from the truth.” quote by Ferdinand de Saussure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b08/ferdinand-de-saussure-19549_devices_everyone-left-to-his-own-devices-forms-a_1204509.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b08/ferdinand-de-saussure-19549_devices_everyone-left-to-his-own-devices-forms-a_1204509.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b08/ferdinand-de-saussure-19549_devices_everyone-left-to-his-own-devices-forms-a_1204509.jpg) > “Everyone, left to his own devices, forms an idea about what goes on in language which is very far from the truth.” [Ferdinand de Saussure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-de-saussure/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often misinterpret language based on personal bias, leading to inaccurate beliefs about how communication truly works. **In simple terms:** Personal bias distorts language understanding. Key Takeaway Question your assumptions about language. Themes language perception bias communication truth Mood reflective analytical Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - everyday conversation - academic study - media analysis - cross‑cultural exchange Key Concepts structuralism semiotics relativism Questions to Reflect On - How does your background shape your view of language? - What steps can you take to see beyond personal bias? A Different Perspective Individual perspectives can be limited by cultural and experiential factors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idea/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [Everybody has a good idea, but nothing goes as planned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-winklevoss/everybody-has-a-good-idea-but-nothing-goes-as-planned/) [Tyler Winklevoss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-winklevoss/) > [I like to be able to work quickly, to capture the spark of an idea before it goes out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/i-like-to-be-able-to-work-quickly-to-capture-the-spark-of-an-idea/) [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) > [Man's mind stretched to a new idea never goes back to its original dimensions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes/man-s-mind-stretched-to-a-new-idea-never-goes-back-to-its-original/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes/) > [When I have an idea, it goes from vague, cloudy notion to 100,000 words in a heartbeat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-abbey/when-i-have-an-idea-it-goes-from-vague-cloudy-notion-to-100-000-words/) [Lynn Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-abbey/) > [Never underestimate the value of knowing another's language. It can be far more powerful than swords and arrows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/never-underestimate-the-value-of-knowing-another-s-language-it-can-be/) [Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/) > [I could give you example after example, of where the language of the far Right, driven by Islamophobia, has now become institutionalised in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/humza-yousaf/i-could-give-you-example-after-example-of-where-the-language-of-the/) [Humza Yousaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/humza-yousaf/) > [“You speak the language far better than”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-scarrow/you-speak-the-language-far-better-than/) [Simon Scarrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-scarrow/) > [Here is a language so far ahead of its time, that it was not only an improvement on its predecessors, but also on nearly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hoare/here-is-a-language-so-far-ahead-of-its-time-that-it-was-not-only-an/) [Tony Hoare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hoare/) > [Go back so far there is another language go back far enough the language is no longer personal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/go-back-so-far-there-is-another-language-go-back-far-enough-the/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [“It is impossible to be far from truth which lives inside your heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/it-is-impossible-to-be-far-from-truth-which-lives-inside-your-heart/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [We must never be afraid to go too far, for truth lies beyond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/we-must-never-be-afraid-to-go-too-far-for-truth-lies-beyond/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [When you are absolutely, positively sure you know all there is to know about anything, you're as far from the truth as you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-hull/when-you-are-absolutely-positively-sure-you-know-all-there-is-to-know/) [Bobby Hull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-hull/) > [Fable has strong shoulders that carry far more truth than fact can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-hughart/fable-has-strong-shoulders-that-carry-far-more-truth-than-fact-can/) [Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-hughart/) > [Put no limit to your thinking or you can never go far and never find the truth!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/put-no-limit-to-your-thinking-or-you-can-never-go-far-and-never-find/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [This perception that I'm negative toward Peyton and I don't appreciate the things he did is so far from the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-irsay/this-perception-that-i-m-negative-toward-peyton-and-i-don-t/) [Jim Irsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-irsay/) ## More by Ferdinand de Saussure > [Nearly all institutions, it might be said, are based on signs, but these signs do not directly evoke things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-de-saussure/nearly-all-institutions-it-might-be-said-are-based-on-signs-but-these/) [Ferdinand de Saussure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-de-saussure/) > [In general, the philological movement opened up countless sources relevant to linguistic issues, treating them in quite a different spirit from traditional grammar; for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-de-saussure/in-general-the-philological-movement-opened-up-countless-sources/) [Ferdinand de Saussure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-de-saussure/) > [The ultimate law of language is, dare we say, that nothing can ever reside in a single term. This is a direct consequence of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-de-saussure/the-ultimate-law-of-language-is-dare-we-say-that-nothing-can-ever/) [Ferdinand de Saussure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-de-saussure/) > [It is useful to the historian, among others, to be able to see the commonest forms of different phenomena, whether phonetic, morphological or other,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-de-saussure/it-is-useful-to-the-historian-among-others-to-be-able-to-see-the/) [Ferdinand de Saussure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-de-saussure/) > [It is only since linguistics has become more aware of its object of study, i.e. perceives the whole extent of it, that it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-de-saussure/it-is-only-since-linguistics-has-become-more-aware-of-its-object-of/) [Ferdinand de Saussure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-de-saussure/) > [A language presupposes that all the individual users possess the organs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-de-saussure/a-language-presupposes-that-all-the-individual-users-possess-the/) [Ferdinand de Saussure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-de-saussure/) > [Of all social institutions language is least amenable to initiative. It blends with the life of society, and the latter, inert by nature, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-de-saussure/of-all-social-institutions-language-is-least-amenable-to-initiative/) [Ferdinand de Saussure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-de-saussure/) > [The business, task or object of the scientific study of languages will if possible be 1) to trace the history of all known languages.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-de-saussure/the-business-task-or-object-of-the-scientific-study-of-languages-will/) [Ferdinand de Saussure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-de-saussure/) > [The first of these phases is that of grammar, invented by the Greeks and carried on unchanged by the French. It never had any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-de-saussure/the-first-of-these-phases-is-that-of-grammar-invented-by-the-greeks/) [Ferdinand de Saussure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-de-saussure/) > [Written forms obscure our view of language. They are not so much a garment as a disguise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-de-saussure/written-forms-obscure-our-view-of-language-they-are-not-so-much-a/) [Ferdinand de Saussure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-de-saussure/) > [Time changes all things; there is no reason why language should escape this universal law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-de-saussure/time-changes-all-things-there-is-no-reason-why-language-should-escape/) [Ferdinand de Saussure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-de-saussure/) > [Linguistics will have to recognise laws operating universally in language, and in a strictly rational manner, separating general phenomena from those restricted to one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-de-saussure/linguistics-will-have-to-recognise-laws-operating-universally-in/) [Ferdinand de Saussure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-de-saussure/) > [Without language, thought is a vague, uncharted nebula.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-de-saussure/without-language-thought-is-a-vague-uncharted-nebula/) [Ferdinand de Saussure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-de-saussure/) > [I’m almost never serious, and I’m always too serious. Too deep, too shallow. Too sensitive, too cold hearted. I’m like a collection of paradoxes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-de-saussure/i-m-almost-never-serious-and-i-m-always-too-serious-too-deep-too/) [Ferdinand de Saussure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-de-saussure/) > [A linguistic system is a series of differences of sound combined with a series of differences of ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-de-saussure/a-linguistic-system-is-a-series-of-differences-of-sound-combined-with/) [Ferdinand de Saussure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-de-saussure/) [Explore all 30 Ferdinand de Saussure quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-de-saussure/) ## More Devices quotes > [The market may never coalesce around one basic design, or even around two or three dominant devices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/the-market-may-never-coalesce-around-one-basic-design-or-even-around/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [Televisions are devices with screens that things appear on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/televisions-are-devices-with-screens-that-things-appear-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [If, as I anticipate, a wide array of personal, portable information/communication devices becomes increasingly important and widespread for information-intensive users, it will be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/if-as-i-anticipate-a-wide-array-of-personal-portable-information/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [I would warn against holsters with devices for quick-draw. Devices always fail when you need them most.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-powell/i-would-warn-against-holsters-with-devices-for-quick-draw-devices/) [William Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-powell/) > [As we go through this transition where a lot more people will be reading on devices, nobody is paying enough attention to make sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/as-we-go-through-this-transition-where-a-lot-more-people-will-be/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [In early drafts, one of the trickiest things for me to do was to realize that the techniques and devices that make readable and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-rooney/in-early-drafts-one-of-the-trickiest-things-for-me-to-do-was-to/) [Kathleen Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-rooney/) > [We are beginning to see intimations of this in the implantation of computer devices into the human body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-kurzweil/we-are-beginning-to-see-intimations-of-this-in-the-implantation-of/) [Ray Kurzweil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-kurzweil/) > [Truth is, people like buying things for $0.99 and $1.99 for their digital devices. We know that from iTunes. We know that from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lee/truth-is-people-like-buying-things-for-0-99-and-1-99-for-their/) [Jennifer Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lee/) > [I think we're probably only about halfway through the number of revelations. I'm pretty certain there will be quite detailed stuff on other uses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-a-watson/i-think-we-re-probably-only-about-halfway-through-the-number-of/) [Tom A. Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-a-watson/) > [The documentary style is an incredibly flexible and useful one. It's a wonderful tool for establishing the credibility of the version of things that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gohlke/the-documentary-style-is-an-incredibly-flexible-and-useful-one-it-s-a/) [Frank Gohlke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gohlke/) > [The sense of tragedy - according to Aristotle - comes, ironically enough, not from the protagonist's weak points but from his good qualities. Do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-sense-of-tragedy-according-to-aristotle-comes-ironically-enough/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [All the problems of the world could be settled easily if men were only willing to think. The trouble is that men very often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-j-watson/all-the-problems-of-the-world-could-be-settled-easily-if-men-were/) [Thomas J. Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-j-watson/) > [Prayer is not a convenient device for imposing our will upon God, or bending his will to ours, but the prescribed way of subordinating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stott/prayer-is-not-a-convenient-device-for-imposing-our-will-upon-god-or/) [John Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stott/) > [The Hope, Love & Healing necklace is the perfect embodiment of what we are trying to bring to Haiti through safe and sustainable housing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-arquette/the-hope-love-healing-necklace-is-the-perfect-embodiment-of-what-we/) [Patricia Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-arquette/) > [Reading is sometimes an ingenious device for avoiding thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-helps/reading-is-sometimes-an-ingenious-device-for-avoiding-thought/) [Arthur Helps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-helps/) Browse all 1,075 Devices quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Everyone, left to his own devices, forms an idea about what goes on in language which is very far from the truth.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ferdinand de Saussure" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-de-saussure/everyone-left-to-his-own-devices-forms-an-idea-about-what-goes-on-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Devices" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-de-saussure/everyone-left-to-his-own-devices-forms-an-idea-about-what-goes-on-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b08/ferdinand-de-saussure-19549_devices_everyone-left-to-his-own-devices-forms-a_1204509.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b08/ferdinand-de-saussure-19549_devices_everyone-left-to-his-own-devices-forms-a_1204509.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b08/ferdinand-de-saussure-19549_devices_everyone-left-to-his-own-devices-forms-a_1204509.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Everyone, left to his own devices, forms an idea about what goes on in language which is very far from the…” — Ferdinand de Saussure", "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": "Ferdinand de Saussure", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-de-saussure/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Everyone, left to his own devices,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-de-saussure/everyone-left-to-his-own-devices-forms-an-idea-about-what-goes-on-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-de-saussure/everyone-left-to-his-own-devices-forms-an-idea-about-what-goes-on-in/#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 } } ] } ```