--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For real human beings, the only realism…" description: "\"For real human beings, the only realism is an embodied realism.\" — George Lakoff" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/859/george-lakoff-17996_body_for-real-human-beings-the-only-realism-i_2080955.png" --- # For real human beings, the only realism is an embodied… ![“For real human beings, the only realism is an embodied realism.” quote by George Lakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/859/george-lakoff-17996_body_for-real-human-beings-the-only-realism-i_2080955.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/859/george-lakoff-17996_body_for-real-human-beings-the-only-realism-i_2080955.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/859/george-lakoff-17996_body_for-real-human-beings-the-only-realism-i_2080955.png) > “For real human beings, the only realism is an embodied realism.” [George Lakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lakoff/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human experience is grounded in bodily perception, so true realism must consider embodied cognition. **In simple terms:** Realism must include the body and mind. Key Takeaway Recognize bodily influence on thought. Themes embodiment realism cognition Mood reflective analytical Type philosophical theoretical When to use this quote - education - design - AI ethics - psychotherapy Key Concepts cognitive linguistics embodied cognition philosophy of mind Questions to Reflect On - How does bodily experience shape your judgments? - Can policies reflect embodied perspectives? A Different Perspective Embodiment may be hard to quantify in abstract theory. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Human beings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-beings/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Medicine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medicine/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Realism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realism/) [Soma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soma/) ## Related quotes > [Holding onto and manipulating physical objects is one of the things we learn earliest and do the most. It should not be surprising that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lakoff/holding-onto-and-manipulating-physical-objects-is-one-of-the-things/) [George Lakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lakoff/) > [We categorize as we do because we have the brains and bodies we have and because we interact in the world as we do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lakoff/we-categorize-as-we-do-because-we-have-the-brains-and-bodies-we-have/) [George Lakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lakoff/) > [“If you can live on this planet and not be emotionally disturbed, then you're not a real human being.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/law-order-svu/if-you-can-live-on-this-planet-and-not-be-emotionally-disturbed-then/) Law & Order: SVU > [Basically, from the viewpoint of real human value we are all the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/basically-from-the-viewpoint-of-real-human-value-we-are-all-the-same/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [I just want to play real human beings. You know, I don't care if they're male or female.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-dormer/i-just-want-to-play-real-human-beings-you-know-i-don-t-care-if-they/) [Natalie Dormer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-dormer/) > [Repentance is the greatest punishment for a real human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/repentance-is-the-greatest-punishment-for-a-real-human/) Mak\_786 > [My job is to portray real human beings and real human experiences, and if I haven't had a real human experience myself outside of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/my-job-is-to-portray-real-human-beings-and-real-human-experiences-and/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [I made Tony a person. For me, Tony was real. I made him become a human being, and that affected the animation and everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thurl-ravenscroft/i-made-tony-a-person-for-me-tony-was-real-i-made-him-become-a-human/) [Thurl Ravenscroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thurl-ravenscroft/) > [All that is real in human history becomes irrational in the process of time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-engels/all-that-is-real-in-human-history-becomes-irrational-in-the-process/) [Friedrich Engels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-engels/) > [If there is an option to use a real human being and to have a chat with somebody and do your shopping that way,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-berrington/if-there-is-an-option-to-use-a-real-human-being-and-to-have-a-chat/) [Emily Berrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-berrington/) > [I believe in art that is connected to real human feeling, that extends itself beyond the limits of the art world to embrace all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-chicago/i-believe-in-art-that-is-connected-to-real-human-feeling-that-extends/) [Judy Chicago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-chicago/) > [That's what I miss, being a real human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-i-a/that-s-what-i-miss-being-a-real-human/) M.I.A > [As I worked on projects which fulfilled a real human need forces were working through me which amazed me. I would often go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington-carver/as-i-worked-on-projects-which-fulfilled-a-real-human-need-forces-were/) [George Washington Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington-carver/) > [Ethics is not just an abstract intellectual discipline. It is about the conflicts that arise in trying to meet real human needs and values.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ziman/ethics-is-not-just-an-abstract-intellectual-discipline-it-is-about/) [John Ziman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ziman/) > [Modern reality TV sets up these competitive situations to show us real human nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-ludwig/modern-reality-tv-sets-up-these-competitive-situations-to-show-us/) [Alexander Ludwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-ludwig/) ## More by George Lakoff > [Our concepts structure what we perceive, how we get around in the world and how we relate to other people. Our conceptual system thus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lakoff/our-concepts-structure-what-we-perceive-how-we-get-around-in-the/) [George Lakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lakoff/) > [Unless you frame yourself, others will frame you — the media, your enemies, your competitors, your well-meaning friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lakoff/unless-you-frame-yourself-others-will-frame-you-the-media-your/) [George Lakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lakoff/) > [“This is how reason really works: through framing, metaphors, emotion, narratives, and imagery.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lakoff/this-is-how-reason-really-works-through-framing-metaphors-emotion/) [George Lakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lakoff/) > [If you're a progressive, you can find lots of people who call themselves conservatives, but who agree with you on lots of things. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lakoff/if-you-re-a-progressive-you-can-find-lots-of-people-who-call/) [George Lakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lakoff/) > [The Public provides freedom...Individualism begins after the roads are built, after individualists have had an education, after medical research has cured their diseases...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lakoff/the-public-provides-freedom-individualism-begins-after-the-roads-are/) [George Lakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lakoff/) > [The essence of metaphor is understanding and experiencing one kind of thing in terms of another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lakoff/the-essence-of-metaphor-is-understanding-and-experiencing-one-kind-of/) [George Lakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lakoff/) > [We categorize as we do because we have the brains and bodies we have and because we interact in the world as we do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lakoff/we-categorize-as-we-do-because-we-have-the-brains-and-bodies-we-have/) [George Lakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lakoff/) > [“The environment is not an "other" to us. It is not a collection of things that we encounter. Rather, it is part of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lakoff/the-environment-is-not-an-other-to-us-it-is-not-a-collection-of/) [George Lakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lakoff/) > [Barack Obama understands what Ronald Reagan learned, which is that people vote not on the basis of issues and policy details, but on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lakoff/barack-obama-understands-what-ronald-reagan-learned-which-is-that/) [George Lakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lakoff/) > [“Our ordinary conceptual system, in terms of which we both think and act, is fundamentally metaphorical in nature.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lakoff/our-ordinary-conceptual-system-in-terms-of-which-we-both-think-and/) [George Lakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lakoff/) > [Most conservatives are conservatives because they think they are morally correct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lakoff/most-conservatives-are-conservatives-because-they-think-they-are/) [George Lakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lakoff/) > [You can't understand Twenty-first-Century Politics with an Eighteenth-Century Brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lakoff/you-can-t-understand-twenty-first-century-politics-with-an-eighteenth/) [George Lakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lakoff/) > [“If you believe in the eighteenth century view of the mind, you will look and act wimpy. You will think that all you need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lakoff/if-you-believe-in-the-eighteenth-century-view-of-the-mind-you-will/) [George Lakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lakoff/) > [“The biology of empathy allows us to comprehend our connection to each other, to other living things, and to the physical world that supports…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lakoff/the-biology-of-empathy-allows-us-to-comprehend-our-connection-to-each/) [George Lakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lakoff/) > [One of the things cognitive science teaches us is that when people define their very identity by a worldview, or a narrative, or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lakoff/one-of-the-things-cognitive-science-teaches-us-is-that-when-people/) [George Lakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lakoff/) [Explore all 36 George Lakoff quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lakoff/) ## More Body quotes > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [The very purpose for being in this body, for every one of us, is to live and rejoice in that virgin area, that untouched,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/the-very-purpose-for-being-in-this-body-for-every-one-of-us-is-to/) [Sri Sri Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/) > [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [I've used the Phoenix Centrifuge to replicate what the body's going to go through on the flight up. I've also done some gravity tests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/i-ve-used-the-phoenix-centrifuge-to-replicate-what-the-body-s-going/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/) Jennifer Siebel Newsom > [Boys and boys' body image and clothes have become just as important an issue for boys as for girls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosalind-wiseman/boys-and-boys-body-image-and-clothes-have-become-just-as-important-an/) [Rosalind Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosalind-wiseman/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Racism is a cancer. You cannot ignore it and it'll go away. If you ignore cancer, it simply metastasizes and consumes the whole body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/racism-is-a-cancer-you-cannot-ignore-it-and-it-ll-go-away-if-you/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [If japa is maintained, no useless talk during work will be possible. The mind will always remain peaceful. Modern day diseases are mostly psychosomatic.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mata-amritanandamayi/if-japa-is-maintained-no-useless-talk-during-work-will-be-possible/) [Mata Amritanandamayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mata-amritanandamayi/) > [It is the incongruous thing in my entire life, this isolation.. ... My work requires it - but I myself have no need or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsden-hartley/it-is-the-incongruous-thing-in-my-entire-life-this-isolation-my-work/) [Marsden Hartley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsden-hartley/) > [My friends, this body - perhaps more than any other gathering in human history - now faces that difficult task.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/my-friends-this-body-perhaps-more-than-any-other-gathering-in-human/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) [Browse all 20,814 Body quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "For real human beings, the only realism is an embodied realism.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Lakoff" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lakoff/for-real-human-beings-the-only-realism-is-an-embodied-realism/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Body" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lakoff/for-real-human-beings-the-only-realism-is-an-embodied-realism/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/859/george-lakoff-17996_body_for-real-human-beings-the-only-realism-i_2080955.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/859/george-lakoff-17996_body_for-real-human-beings-the-only-realism-i_2080955.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/859/george-lakoff-17996_body_for-real-human-beings-the-only-realism-i_2080955.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“For real human beings, the only realism is an embodied realism.” — George Lakoff", "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": "George Lakoff", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lakoff/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "For real human beings, the only...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lakoff/for-real-human-beings-the-only-realism-is-an-embodied-realism/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lakoff/for-real-human-beings-the-only-realism-is-an-embodied-realism/#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 } } ] } ```