---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: cliches are truisms and all truisms are…"
description: "\"cliches are truisms and all truisms are true\" — Jack Kerouac"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b40/jack-kerouac-182_cliche_cliches-are-truisms-and-all-truisms-are_1270733.jpg"
---

#  cliches are truisms and all truisms are true

![“cliches are truisms and all truisms are true” quote by Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b40/jack-kerouac-182_cliche_cliches-are-truisms-and-all-truisms-are_1270733.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b40/jack-kerouac-182_cliche_cliches-are-truisms-and-all-truisms-are_1270733.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b40/jack-kerouac-182_cliche_cliches-are-truisms-and-all-truisms-are_1270733.jpg)

> “cliches are truisms and all truisms are true”

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Clichés are simple truths, and all simple truths hold validity.

**In simple terms:** Simple truths are universally true.

Key Takeaway

Value the wisdom in common sayings.

Themes

simplicity truth language

Mood

reflective critical

Type

philosophical literary

When to use this quote

- writing
- teaching
- public speaking

Key Concepts

philosophy of language cultural idioms

Questions to Reflect On

- When do clichés become limiting?
- How can you reframe simple truths?

A Different Perspective

Overreliance on clichés may stifle originality.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Cliche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cliche/) [Cliches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cliches/) [Truism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truism/)

## Related quotes

> [The theory of truth is a series of truisms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-l-austin/the-theory-of-truth-is-a-series-of-truisms/)

[J. L. Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-l-austin/)

> [“And yet he was in the right! They were wrong and he was right. The obvious, the silly, and the true had got to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/and-yet-he-was-in-the-right-they-were-wrong-and-he-was-right-the/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

> [“Follow the rules until you make them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-green/follow-the-rules-until-you-make-them/)

Luke Green

> [“I self-medicate with fat, carbohydrates, and Jane Austen, my number one drug of choice, my constant companion through every breakup, every disappointment, every crisis.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-viera-rigler/i-self-medicate-with-fat-carbohydrates-and-jane-austen-my-number-one/)

[Laurie Viera Rigler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-viera-rigler/)

> [“But no. There is a difference between the truth and what we wish were true.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/but-no-there-is-a-difference-between-the-truth-and-what-we-wish-were/)

[Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/)

> [“I remembered a truism that I had always known: no woman need let a man know the contents of her mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-essex/i-remembered-a-truism-that-i-had-always-known-no-woman-need-let-a-man/)

[Karen Essex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-essex/)

> [Ever since Richard Nixon walloped George McGovern in the presidential election of 1972, political pundits have treated as a truism the proposition that liberals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-alterman/ever-since-richard-nixon-walloped-george-mcgovern-in-the-presidential/)

[Eric Alterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-alterman/)

> [Men grind and grind in the mill of a truism, and nothing comes out but what was put in. But the moment they desert…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/men-grind-and-grind-in-the-mill-of-a-truism-and-nothing-comes-out-but/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [Every Day Is for the Thief is a vivid, episodic evocation of the truism that you can't go home again; but that doesn't mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-collins/every-day-is-for-the-thief-is-a-vivid-episodic-evocation-of-the/)

[Billy Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-collins/)

> [... Tarrasch's 'dogmas' are not eternal truisms, but merely instructional material presented in an accessible and witty form, those necessary rudiments from which one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/tarrasch-s-dogmas-are-not-eternal-truisms-but-merely-instructional/)

[Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/)

> [“There is the natural liar...Always says the thing that sounds best.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/there-is-the-natural-liar-always-says-the-thing-that-sounds-best/)

[Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/)

> [“Verily, knowledge is a lock and its key is the question.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/verily-knowledge-is-a-lock-and-its-key-is-the-question/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Decide on some imperfect Somebody and you will win, because the truest truism in politics is: You can't beat Somebody with Nobody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/decide-on-some-imperfect-somebody-and-you-will-win-because-the-truest/)

[William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/)

> [The triangle of truisms, of father, mother and child, cannot be destroyed; it can only destroy those civilizations which disregard it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/the-triangle-of-truisms-of-father-mother-and-child-cannot-be/)

[Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/)

> [“Life is difficult.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/life-is-difficult/)

[M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/)

## More by Jack Kerouac

> [Bein Crazy is the least of my worries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/bein-crazy-is-the-least-of-my-worries/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [I'm Catholic and I can't commit suicide, but I plan to drink myself to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/i-m-catholic-and-i-can-t-commit-suicide-but-i-plan-to-drink-myself-to/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [The Beat Generation, that was a vision that we had, John Clellon Holmes and I, and Allen Ginsberg in an even wilder way, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/the-beat-generation-that-was-a-vision-that-we-had-john-clellon-holmes/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [But, outside of being a sweet little girl, she was awfully dumb and capable of doing horrible things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/but-outside-of-being-a-sweet-little-girl-she-was-awfully-dumb-and/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [“For when you realized that God is Everything you know that you've got to love everything no matter how bad it is, in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/for-when-you-realized-that-god-is-everything-you-know-that-you-ve-got/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [“I'm an idealist who has outgrown my idealism I have nothing to do the rest of my life but do it and the rest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/i-m-an-idealist-who-has-outgrown-my-idealism-i-have-nothing-to-do-the/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [“Most of them were running away from something―usually the law.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/most-of-them-were-running-away-from-something-usually-the-law/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [“Non lo so, non importa e non fa nessuna differenza.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/non-lo-so-non-importa-e-non-fa-nessuna-differenza/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [“And in the flush of the first few days of joy I confidently tell myself (not expecting what I'll do in three weeks only)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/and-in-the-flush-of-the-first-few-days-of-joy-i-confidently-tell/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [I want a blaze of light to flame in me forever in a timeless, dear love of everything. And why should I pretend to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/i-want-a-blaze-of-light-to-flame-in-me-forever-in-a-timeless-dear/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [“For the next week that was all I heard - manana, a lovely word and one that probably means heaven.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/for-the-next-week-that-was-all-i-heard-manana-a-lovely-word-and-one/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [“O how wonderful life is, how miraculous, God made this and God made that", "how do you know he doesn't hate what He did:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/o-how-wonderful-life-is-how-miraculous-god-made-this-and-god-made/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [Notoriety and public confession in the literary form is a frazzler of the heart you were born with, believe me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/notoriety-and-public-confession-in-the-literary-form-is-a-frazzler-of/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [I promise I shall never give up, and that I'll die yelling &amp; laughing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/i-promise-i-shall-never-give-up-and-that-i-ll-die-yelling-laughing/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [“The hot water pools are steaming, Fagan and Monsanto and the others are all sitting peacefully up to their necks, they're all naked, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/the-hot-water-pools-are-steaming-fagan-and-monsanto-and-the-others/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

[Explore all 936 Jack Kerouac quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

## More Cliche quotes

> [All the cliches of glamorous sophistication have little appeal to me. Do I want to live the British version of 'Dynasty?' No thanks!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sade-adu/all-the-cliches-of-glamorous-sophistication-have-little-appeal-to-me/)

[Sade Adu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sade-adu/)

> [Good things come to those who hustle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-noll/good-things-come-to-those-who-hustle/)

[Chuck Noll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-noll/)

> [It's a bit cliche, but you can't go wrong by writing what you know. Even if you're a horrible writer, your own knowledge and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/issa-rae/it-s-a-bit-cliche-but-you-can-t-go-wrong-by-writing-what-you-know/)

[Issa Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/issa-rae/)

> [“As an opener, I'd like to state that elves are certainly NOT cliché. It doesn't matter if they all have pointy ears, or they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fanney/as-an-opener-i-d-like-to-state-that-elves-are-certainly-not-clich-it/)

[Robert Fanney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fanney/)

> [“NormnAl, "Like, Share, Follow and subscribe" - The typical cliche drill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deyth-banger/normnal-like-share-follow-and-subscribe-the-typical-cliche-drill/)

Deyth Banger

> [To move past fear is a cliche.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-abbott/to-move-past-fear-is-a-cliche/)

[Tony Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-abbott/)

> [There are trappings of science fiction which I kind of embrace, but there are also cliches which I run from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-twohy/there-are-trappings-of-science-fiction-which-i-kind-of-embrace-but/)

[David Twohy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-twohy/)

> [Audiences are hungry for something different. With binge-watching, they're hungry for interesting content they haven't seen before, and they want to be entertained. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-millar/audiences-are-hungry-for-something-different-with-binge-watching-they/)

[Miles Millar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-millar/)

> [A popular cliche in philosophy says that science is pure analysis or reductionism, like taking the rainbow to pieces; and art is pure synthesis,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-bronowski/a-popular-cliche-in-philosophy-says-that-science-is-pure-analysis-or/)

[Jacob Bronowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-bronowski/)

> [I think the French have a romantic cliche that Englishmen have great style, great music, irony and sense of humour. Well, sometimes cliches are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-de-la-baume/i-think-the-french-have-a-romantic-cliche-that-englishmen-have-great/)

[Josephine de La Baume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-de-la-baume/)

> [Last, but not least, avoid cliches like the plague.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/last-but-not-least-avoid-cliches-like-the-plague/)

[William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/)

> [“The more you know, the less you understand. That's so cliche'. Wanna know the scary version? The more you know, the more fuckups you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/the-more-you-know-the-less-you-understand-that-s-so-cliche-wanna-know/)

[Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/)

> [You can't do anything if a person says no. In such a case, there's nothing you can do - unlike the popular cliche that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-wolf/you-can-t-do-anything-if-a-person-says-no-in-such-a-case-there-s/)

[Markus Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-wolf/)

> [“Sometimes people overlooked how useful a cliché was. It got everyone thinking about things in the same sort of way, and that could be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leese/sometimes-people-overlooked-how-useful-a-clich-was-it-got-everyone/)

[Michael Leese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-leese/)

> [When academics claim a topic is obsolete, they mean merely they are tired of flogging it with their cliches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-smith/when-academics-claim-a-topic-is-obsolete-they-mean-merely-they-are/)

[Kenny Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-smith/)

[Browse all 601 Cliche quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cliche/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "cliches are truisms and all truisms are true",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jack Kerouac"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/cliches-are-truisms-and-all-truisms-are-true/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Cliche"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/cliches-are-truisms-and-all-truisms-are-true/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b40/jack-kerouac-182_cliche_cliches-are-truisms-and-all-truisms-are_1270733.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b40/jack-kerouac-182_cliche_cliches-are-truisms-and-all-truisms-are_1270733.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b40/jack-kerouac-182_cliche_cliches-are-truisms-and-all-truisms-are_1270733.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“cliches are truisms and all truisms are true” — Jack Kerouac",
                "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": "Jack Kerouac",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "cliches are truisms and all truisms...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/cliches-are-truisms-and-all-truisms-are-true/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/cliches-are-truisms-and-all-truisms-are-true/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
