--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Words belong to those who use them only…" description: "\"Words belong to those who use them only till someone else steals them back.\" — Hakim Bey" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/902/hakim-bey-17371_language_words-belong-to-those-who-use-them-only_2960727.png" --- # Words belong to those who use them only till someone else… ![“Words belong to those who use them only till someone else steals them back.” quote by Hakim Bey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/902/hakim-bey-17371_language_words-belong-to-those-who-use-them-only_2960727.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/902/hakim-bey-17371_language_words-belong-to-those-who-use-them-only_2960727.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/902/hakim-bey-17371_language_words-belong-to-those-who-use-them-only_2960727.png) > “Words belong to those who use them only till someone else steals them back.” [Hakim Bey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hakim-bey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Language is a tool that can be reclaimed by those it who it, emphasizing the fluidity of ownership. **In simple terms:** Words can be reclaimed when stolen. Key Takeaway Guard your language and its use. Themes language ownership power Mood critical thoughtful Type philosophical political When to use this quote - political activism - creative writing - social media Key Concepts anarchism philosophy communication Questions to Reflect On - Who truly owns a word once spoken? - How does reclaiming language empower individuals? A Different Perspective Ownership claims are often contested and subjective. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words/) ## Related quotes > [“Our lives are all that really belong to us, so it is how we use our lives that determines what kind of men we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/our-lives-are-all-that-really-belong-to-us-so-it-is-how-we-use-our/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [Everyone steals in commerce and industry. I've stolen a lot, myself. But I know how to steal! They don't know how to steal!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/everyone-steals-in-commerce-and-industry-i-ve-stolen-a-lot-myself-but/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [The thief you must fear the most is not the one who steals mere things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-marie-macdonald/the-thief-you-must-fear-the-most-is-not-the-one-who-steals-mere-things/) [Ann-Marie MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-marie-macdonald/) > [What if he wakes up before you get home and steals you blind? (Wayne) Steals what? My clothes won’t fit him and I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/what-if-he-wakes-up-before-you-get-home-and-steals-you-blind-wayne/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [Everyone steals from something or someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-dickinson/everyone-steals-from-something-or-someone/) [Janice Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-dickinson/) > [If each photograph steals a bit of the soul, isn't it possible that I give up pieces of mine every time I take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-avedon/if-each-photograph-steals-a-bit-of-the-soul-isn-t-it-possible-that-i/) [Richard Avedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-avedon/) > [Anger is a thief who steals away the nice moments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-lunden/anger-is-a-thief-who-steals-away-the-nice-moments/) [Joan Lunden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-lunden/) > [Joy steals upon me, such joy as calls forth tears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/joy-steals-upon-me-such-joy-as-calls-forth-tears/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [Good name in man and woman, dear my lord, Is the immediate jewel of their souls: Who steals my purse steals trash; ’tis something,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/good-name-in-man-and-woman-dear-my-lord-is-the-immediate-jewel-of/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An entrepreneur is someone that steals office supplies from home and brings them to work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/auren-hoffman/an-entrepreneur-is-someone-that-steals-office-supplies-from-home-and/) [Auren Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/auren-hoffman/) > [The big artist .. . keeps a sharp eye on Nature and steals her tools.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-eakins/the-big-artist-keeps-a-sharp-eye-on-nature-and-steals-her-tools/) [Thomas Eakins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-eakins/) > [language can't be appropriated by one person, one poet. The words belong to all of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/language-can-t-be-appropriated-by-one-person-one-poet-the-words/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [Words belong to each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/words-belong-to-each-other/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [For last years words belong to last years language and next years words await another voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ts-eliot/for-last-years-words-belong-to-last-years-language-and-next-years/) [TS Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ts-eliot/) > [“Words belong to the person who wrote them”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/words-belong-to-the-person-who-wrote-them/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) ## More by Hakim Bey > [Don't just survive while waiting for someone's revolution to clear your head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hakim-bey/don-t-just-survive-while-waiting-for-someone-s-revolution-to-clear/) [Hakim Bey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hakim-bey/) > [Only the dead are truly smart, truly cool. Nothing touches them. While I live, however, I side with bumbling suffering crooked life, with anger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hakim-bey/only-the-dead-are-truly-smart-truly-cool-nothing-touches-them-while-i/) [Hakim Bey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hakim-bey/) > [The autonomy of the individual appears to be complemented and enhanced by the movement of the group; while the effectiveness of the group seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hakim-bey/the-autonomy-of-the-individual-appears-to-be-complemented-and/) [Hakim Bey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hakim-bey/) > [...only drugs make you feel as good as people in TV ads appear to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hakim-bey/only-drugs-make-you-feel-as-good-as-people-in-tv-ads-appear-to-be/) [Hakim Bey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hakim-bey/) > [The dullard finds even wine tasteless, while the sorcerer is intoxicated by the mere sight of water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hakim-bey/the-dullard-finds-even-wine-tasteless-while-the-sorcerer-is/) [Hakim Bey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hakim-bey/) > [If rulers refuse to consider poems as crimes, then someone must commit crimes that serve the function of poetry, or texts that possess the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hakim-bey/if-rulers-refuse-to-consider-poems-as-crimes-then-someone-must-commit/) [Hakim Bey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hakim-bey/) > [Art tells gorgeous lies that come true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hakim-bey/art-tells-gorgeous-lies-that-come-true/) [Hakim Bey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hakim-bey/) > [The Universe wants to play. Those who refuse out of dry spiritual greed & choose pure contemplation forfeit their humanity - those who refuse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hakim-bey/the-universe-wants-to-play-those-who-refuse-out-of-dry-spiritual/) [Hakim Bey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hakim-bey/) > [Sorcery: the systematic cultivation of enhanced consciousness or non-ordinary awareness & its deployment in the world of deeds & objects to bring about desired results.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hakim-bey/sorcery-the-systematic-cultivation-of-enhanced-consciousness-or-non/) [Hakim Bey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hakim-bey/) > [“i am awake only in what i love & desire to the point of terror -- everything else is just shrouded furniture, quotidian anaesthesia,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hakim-bey/i-am-awake-only-in-what-i-love-desire-to-the-point-of-terror/) [hakim bey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hakim-bey/) > [Sorcery breaks no law of nature because there is no Natural Law, only the spontaneity of natura naturans, the tao. Sorcery violates laws which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hakim-bey/sorcery-breaks-no-law-of-nature-because-there-is-no-natural-law-only/) [Hakim Bey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hakim-bey/) > [The media of sameness and separation represent the world in its most religious form - the structuring of the social in images.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hakim-bey/the-media-of-sameness-and-separation-represent-the-world-in-its-most/) [Hakim Bey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hakim-bey/) > [A Tong can perhaps be defined as a mutual benefit society for people with a common interest which is illegal or dangerously marginal -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hakim-bey/a-tong-can-perhaps-be-defined-as-a-mutual-benefit-society-for-people/) [Hakim Bey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hakim-bey/) > [“Poetic Terrorism WEIRD DANCING IN ALL-NIGHT computer-banking lobbies. Unauthorized pyrotechnic displays. Land-art, earth-works as bizarre alien artifacts strewn in State Parks. Burglarize houses but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hakim-bey/poetic-terrorism-weird-dancing-in-all-night-computer-banking-lobbies/) [Hakim Bey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hakim-bey/) > [Chaos comes before all principles of order & entropy, it's neither a god nor a maggot, its idiotic desires encompass & define every possible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hakim-bey/chaos-comes-before-all-principles-of-order-entropy-it-s-neither-a-god/) [Hakim Bey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hakim-bey/) [Explore all 37 Hakim Bey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hakim-bey/) ## More Language quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) Ted Martinez > [Usually male directors have to use foul language to get the job done. But I never came down to that level as being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-khosla-kumar/usually-male-directors-have-to-use-foul-language-to-get-the-job-done/) [Divya Khosla Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-khosla-kumar/) > [The problem posed by indirect speech acts is the problem of how it is possible for the speaker to say one thing and mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-searle/the-problem-posed-by-indirect-speech-acts-is-the-problem-of-how-it-is/) [John Searle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-searle/) > [A man walks down the street. It's a street in a strange world. Maybe it's the third world. Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [“I only have two words to say More or Less”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timbur/i-only-have-two-words-to-say-more-or-less/) TimBur > [It's like saying French shouldn't be taught because you don't understand it because it's new. Shakespeare is just like learning a new, exciting language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/it-s-like-saying-french-shouldn-t-be-taught-because-you-don-t/) [Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/) > [I am attracted to looking at the different things language can mean even in one sometimes quite ordinary utterance. Writing is partly about listening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-armantrout/i-am-attracted-to-looking-at-the-different-things-language-can-mean/) [Rae Armantrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-armantrout/) > [What is music? Music is language. A human being wants to express ideas in this language, but not ideas that can be translated into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-webern/what-is-music-music-is-language-a-human-being-wants-to-express-ideas/) [Anton Webern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-webern/) > [You're beautiful, cute, pretty, gorgeous, and fuck.. I ran out of words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghib-clitso/you-re-beautiful-cute-pretty-gorgeous-and-fuck-i-ran-out-of-words/) [Raghib Clitso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghib-clitso/) > [The world has a soul and whoever understands that soul can also understand the language of many things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-world-has-a-soul-and-whoever-understands-that-soul-can-also/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“The words for what I want to say right now don't exist. Everything sounds…so cliché.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelly-crane/the-words-for-what-i-want-to-say-right-now-don-t-exist-everything/) [Shelly Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelly-crane/) > [A man cannot speak but he judges himself. With his will or against his will he draws his portrait to the eye of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/a-man-cannot-speak-but-he-judges-himself-with-his-will-or-against-his/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Words can kill you trust towards someone, mind you language people, every reaction had its consequence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/words-can-kill-you-trust-towards-someone-mind-you-language-people/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Finxerunt animi, raro et perpauca loquentis. (To action little, less to words inclinded.)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/finxerunt-animi-raro-et-perpauca-loquentis-to-action-little-less-to/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [For comedy action, I must know the language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammo-hung/for-comedy-action-i-must-know-the-language/) [Sammo Hung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammo-hung/) [Browse all 21,951 Language quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Words belong to those who use them only till someone else steals them back.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Hakim Bey" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hakim-bey/words-belong-to-those-who-use-them-only-till-someone-else-steals-them/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Language" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hakim-bey/words-belong-to-those-who-use-them-only-till-someone-else-steals-them/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/902/hakim-bey-17371_language_words-belong-to-those-who-use-them-only_2960727.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/902/hakim-bey-17371_language_words-belong-to-those-who-use-them-only_2960727.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/902/hakim-bey-17371_language_words-belong-to-those-who-use-them-only_2960727.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Words belong to those who use them only till someone else steals them back.” — Hakim Bey", "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": "Hakim Bey", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hakim-bey/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Words belong to those who use...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hakim-bey/words-belong-to-those-who-use-them-only-till-someone-else-steals-them/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hakim-bey/words-belong-to-those-who-use-them-only-till-someone-else-steals-them/#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 } } ] } ```