--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As I say at the beginning of my…" description: "\"As I say at the beginning of my workshops, 'Everything I say here is a lie -- bullshit, in other words -- because anything that you put in words is not..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85f/john-c-lilly-29596_bullshit_as-i-say-at-the-beginning-of-my-workshop_2911259.png" --- # As I say at the beginning of my workshops, 'Everything I… ![“As I say at the beginning of my workshops, 'Everything I say here is a lie -- bullshit, in other words -- because anything that you put in words is not experience, is not the experiment. It's a representation -- a misrepresentation.” quote by John C. Lilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85f/john-c-lilly-29596_bullshit_as-i-say-at-the-beginning-of-my-workshop_2911259.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85f/john-c-lilly-29596_bullshit_as-i-say-at-the-beginning-of-my-workshop_2911259.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85f/john-c-lilly-29596_bullshit_as-i-say-at-the-beginning-of-my-workshop_2911259.png) > “As I say at the beginning of my workshops, 'Everything I say here is a lie -- bullshit, in other words -- because anything that you put in words is not experience, is not the experiment. It's a representation -- a misrepresentation.” [John C. Lilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-lilly/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Words are representations, not direct experience; they misrepresent reality. **In simple terms:** Language is a misrepresentation. Key Takeaway Question the limits of language. Themes philosophy communication representation Mood thought‑provoking critical Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - academic seminars - creative writing - critical thinking Key Concepts cognitive science lingistics Questions to Reflect On - How do we convey true experience? - Can silence be more honest? A Different Perspective Overreliance on language can obscure truth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bullshit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bullshit/) [Experiments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experiments/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Misrepresentation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misrepresentation/) [Representation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/representation/) [Research](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/research/) [Workshops](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/workshops/) ## Related quotes > [Your bullshit words and your empty promises don't fool me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/your-bullshit-words-and-your-empty-promises-don-t-fool-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Never tell a lie when you can bullshit your way through it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-ambler/never-tell-a-lie-when-you-can-bullshit-your-way-through-it/) [Eric Ambler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-ambler/) > [I was totally taken in and totally taken by that myth starting in 1999, rather carelessly writing about this archive and starting to read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathon-keats/i-was-totally-taken-in-and-totally-taken-by-that-myth-starting-in/) [Jonathon Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathon-keats/) > [Serious misfortunes, originating in misrepresentation, frequently flow and spread before they can be dissipated by truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/serious-misfortunes-originating-in-misrepresentation-frequently-flow/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [It is certain that the study of human psychology, if it were undertaken exclusively in prisons, would also lead to misrepresentation and absurd generalizations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-yves-cousteau/it-is-certain-that-the-study-of-human-psychology-if-it-were/) [Jacques Yves Cousteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-yves-cousteau/) > [For a privileged minority, Western democracy provides the leisure, the facilities, and the training to seek the truth lying hidden behind the veil of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/for-a-privileged-minority-western-democracy-provides-the-leisure-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [It's funny, for a long time I would go watermelon-red and deny that I was a magical realist. It felt imprecise to me, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-russell/it-s-funny-for-a-long-time-i-would-go-watermelon-red-and-deny-that-i/) [Karen Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-russell/) > [Great is the power of steady misrepresentation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/great-is-the-power-of-steady-misrepresentation/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [To generate any appreciable degree of long-term affluence requires scrupulous honesty and the willingness to honor long-term agreements with employers, suppliers, partners, and especially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sheaffer/to-generate-any-appreciable-degree-of-long-term-affluence-requires/) [Robert Sheaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sheaffer/) > [Great is the power of steady misrepresentation; but the history of science shows that fortunately this power does not long endure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/great-is-the-power-of-steady-misrepresentation-but-the-history-of/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [Barack Obama thinks he's universally loved and adored because of that approval rating, which is a lie or a misrepresentation. It's mainly people that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/barack-obama-thinks-he-s-universally-loved-and-adored-because-of-that/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [There needs to be structures in place to do something about misrepresentation about hip hop. When awards are given out and the media talk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/there-needs-to-be-structures-in-place-to-do-something-about/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [Photographers find themselves directly in competition with mass media's misrepresentations of women. So the photographic terrain is particularly contested from a political point of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-r-lippard/photographers-find-themselves-directly-in-competition-with-mass-media/) [Lucy R. Lippard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-r-lippard/) > [The public should begin to understand that there's nothing that comes out of this campaign, or this Obama White House, that they can believe.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sununu/the-public-should-begin-to-understand-that-there-s-nothing-that-comes/) [John Sununu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sununu/) > [All poetry is misrepresentation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-bentham/all-poetry-is-misrepresentation/) [Jeremy Bentham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-bentham/) ## More by John C. Lilly > [The experienced, wise, energetic, intelligent individual functioning in a loose coalition with others in a wide network is far more effective than he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-lilly/the-experienced-wise-energetic-intelligent-individual-functioning-in/) [John C. Lilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-lilly/) > [I call God ECCO (Earth Coincidence Control Office) . It's much more satisfying to call it that. A lot of people accept this and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-lilly/i-call-god-ecco-earth-coincidence-control-office-it-s-much-more/) [John C. Lilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-lilly/) > [“In order to become, to be, to move, Imagine leaving here, going to a cliff above the sea. Watch the sea Dive into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-lilly/in-order-to-become-to-be-to-move-imagine-leaving-here-going-to-a/) [John C. Lilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-lilly/) > [The miracle is that the universe created a part of itself, to study itself, and that this part in studying itself finds the rest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-lilly/the-miracle-is-that-the-universe-created-a-part-of-itself-to-study/) [John C. Lilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-lilly/) > [In the centre of the cyclone one is off the wheel of Karma, of life, rising to join the Creators of the Universe, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-lilly/in-the-centre-of-the-cyclone-one-is-off-the-wheel-of-karma-of-life/) [John C. Lilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-lilly/) > [In the province of the mind what one believes to be true, either is true or becomes true within certain limits. These limits are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-lilly/in-the-province-of-the-mind-what-one-believes-to-be-true-either-is/) [John C. Lilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-lilly/) > [All human beings, all persons who reach adulthood in the world today are programmed biocomputers. No one of us can escape our own nature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-lilly/all-human-beings-all-persons-who-reach-adulthood-in-the-world-today/) [John C. Lilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-lilly/) > [Presumably there are energies, to which each human is sensitive, that we cannot yet detect by means of our instruments. Built into our brains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-lilly/presumably-there-are-energies-to-which-each-human-is-sensitive-that/) [John C. Lilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-lilly/) > [The fear that the universe is not what you assume it to be is very basic, especially when you know damn well it isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-lilly/the-fear-that-the-universe-is-not-what-you-assume-it-to-be-is-very/) [John C. Lilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-lilly/) > [You don't have to suffer continual chaos in order to grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-lilly/you-don-t-have-to-suffer-continual-chaos-in-order-to-grow/) [John C. Lilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-lilly/) > [As the LSD began to take effect, I suddenly said in a very loud voice, while pounding on top of a file, “Every psychiatrist,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-lilly/as-the-lsd-began-to-take-effect-i-suddenly-said-in-a-very-loud-voice/) [John C. Lilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-lilly/) > [Cosmic love is absolutely Ruthless and Highly Indifferent: it teaches its lessons whether you like/ dislike them or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-lilly/cosmic-love-is-absolutely-ruthless-and-highly-indifferent-it-teaches/) [John C. Lilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-lilly/) > [In the mind, there are no limits...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-lilly/in-the-mind-there-are-no-limits/) [John C. Lilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-lilly/) > [There are no mistakes, there are only correctable errors. There are no errors, there are only alternate programs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-lilly/there-are-no-mistakes-there-are-only-correctable-errors-there-are-no/) [John C. Lilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-lilly/) > [All laws are simulations of reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-lilly/all-laws-are-simulations-of-reality/) [John C. Lilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-lilly/) [Explore all 18 John C. Lilly quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-lilly/) ## More Bullshit quotes > [I rap when I'm rich. I rap when I'm broke. I rap when I'm bullshit in the street. I rap about only having one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/killer-mike/i-rap-when-i-m-rich-i-rap-when-i-m-broke-i-rap-when-i-m-bullshit-in/) [Killer Mike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/killer-mike/) > [Yesterday's truth is today's bullshit. Even yesterday's liberating insight is today's jail of stale explanation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-blanton/yesterday-s-truth-is-today-s-bullshit-even-yesterday-s-liberating/) [Brad Blanton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-blanton/) > [The one thing I absolutely hate about social media are the people who abuse it. Whenever I see a person who constantly posts negative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jazmin-garcia/the-one-thing-i-absolutely-hate-about-social-media-are-the-people-who/) [Jazmin Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jazmin-garcia/) > [My biggest advice would be to take the pictures you want to take. Don’t think about the marketplace, what sells or what an editor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lachapelle/my-biggest-advice-would-be-to-take-the-pictures-you-want-to-take-don/) [David LaChapelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lachapelle/) > [We're at a time when we are being presented with undeniable changes in the global climate and fundamental issues that affect every single one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-yorke/we-re-at-a-time-when-we-are-being-presented-with-undeniable-changes/) [Thom Yorke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-yorke/) > [“Someday you’re gonna go stupid for a woman. And when you do, do me this one favor: don’t get all caught up in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-halpern/someday-you-re-gonna-go-stupid-for-a-woman-and-when-you-do-do-me-this/) [Justin Halpern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-halpern/) > [How can I set free anyone who doesn't have the guts to stand up alone and declare his own freedom? I think it's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-morrison/how-can-i-set-free-anyone-who-doesn-t-have-the-guts-to-stand-up-alone/) [Jim Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-morrison/) > [“Please, boy. Let’s not start out with either of us insulting the other’s intelligence. There are only three people in life you can never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-lynch/please-boy-let-s-not-start-out-with-either-of-us-insulting-the-other/) [Scott Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-lynch/) > [The idea of photography as evidence is pure bullshit. A photo is no more proof of any reality than what you may hear being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-riboud/the-idea-of-photography-as-evidence-is-pure-bullshit-a-photo-is-no/) [Marc Riboud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-riboud/) > [“(‘T) is all that separates I CAN’T from I CAN. Cut away the bullshit and live your life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-edward-lee-miller/t-is-all-that-separates-i-can-t-from-i-can-cut-away-the-bullshit-and/) [Cody Edward Lee Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-edward-lee-miller/) > [I wouldn't mind gigging around the same era as Jesus, after he gives his speech about the meek and how blessed they are and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-jefferies/i-wouldn-t-mind-gigging-around-the-same-era-as-jesus-after-he-gives/) [Jim Jefferies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-jefferies/) > [Alright, thats enough of this Kung-Fu bullshit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcclane/alright-thats-enough-of-this-kung-fu-bullshit/) [John Mcclane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcclane/) > [“To recognize bullshit, nose is better than ear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/to-recognize-bullshit-nose-is-better-than-ear/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [Loyal people always seem to go through the most bullshit!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/loyal-people-always-seem-to-go-through-the-most-bullshit/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [“I wasn't sure which was worse - to know you were a liar or to believe your own bullshit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/i-wasn-t-sure-which-was-worse-to-know-you-were-a-liar-or-to-believe/) [Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/) [Browse all 1,074 Bullshit quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bullshit/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As I say at the beginning of my workshops, 'Everything I say here is a lie -- bullshit, in other words -- because anything that you put in words is not experience, is not the experiment. 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