--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Only very odd people don’t realize that…" description: "\"“Only very odd people don’t realize that truth-telling is always a relative value.”\" — John Gardner" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/857/john-gardner-3092_telling_only-very-odd-people-don-t-realize-that_2999338.png" --- # Only very odd people don’t realize that truth-telling is… ![“Only very odd people don’t realize that truth-telling is always a relative value.” quote by John Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/857/john-gardner-3092_telling_only-very-odd-people-don-t-realize-that_2999338.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/857/john-gardner-3092_telling_only-very-odd-people-don-t-realize-that_2999338.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/857/john-gardner-3092_telling_only-very-odd-people-don-t-realize-that_2999338.png) > ““Only very odd people don’t realize that truth-telling is always a relative value.”” [John Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gardner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Truth‑telling is subjective; what counts as truth varies with perspective. **In simple terms:** Truth is relative. Key Takeaway Question assumptions about truth. Themes philosophy ethics subjectivity Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical inquisitive When to use this quote - debates - journalism - personal narratives - legal testimony Key Concepts relativism in communication Questions to Reflect On - When is truth objective? - How do cultures define honesty? A Different Perspective Absolute truths still exist in some contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Odd People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/odd-people-1686517/) [Realize Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realize-truth-269073/) [Telling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/telling/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truth Telling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-telling-731035/) ## Related quotes > [From an early age, I had the idea that writing was truth-telling. It's on the record. Everybody can see it. 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And when you do, you'll be free at last.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-millman/words-mean-little-unless-you-realize-the-truth-of-it-yourself-and/) [Dan Millman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-millman/) > [“There comes a time for each of us when we realize the truth about the enemy. Which is that he is not an idea,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-van-reet/there-comes-a-time-for-each-of-us-when-we-realize-the-truth-about-the/) [Brian Van Reet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-van-reet/) > [We all know that Art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realize truth at least the truth that is given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/we-all-know-that-art-is-not-truth-art-is-a-lie-that-makes-us-realize/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [That moment where you know what's beautiful just by looking at her, and realize all the Truth in this world of lies there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junior-d-r-l-testament/that-moment-where-you-know-what-s-beautiful-just-by-looking-at-her/) [Junior Dè Rèál Testament](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junior-d-r-l-testament/) ## More by John Gardner > [“All to often, on the long road up, young leaders become servants of what is rather than shapers of what might be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gardner/all-to-often-on-the-long-road-up-young-leaders-become-servants-of/) [John Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gardner/) > [When I was a child I truly loved: Unthinking love as calm and deep As the North Sea. But I have lived, And now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gardner/when-i-was-a-child-i-truly-loved-unthinking-love-as-calm-and-deep-as/) [John Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gardner/) > [“They only think they think. 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James may go too far, but his point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gardner/in-any-long-fiction-henry-james-remarked-use-of-the-first-person/) [John Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gardner/) > [Nothing can be more limiting to the imagination than only writing about what you know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gardner/nothing-can-be-more-limiting-to-the-imagination-than-only-writing/) [John Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gardner/) > [A nation that values bad philosophy above good plumbing will have neither good philosophy nor good plumbing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gardner/a-nation-that-values-bad-philosophy-above-good-plumbing-will-have/) [John Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gardner/) > [The citizen can bring our political and governmental institutions back to life, make them responsive and accountable, and keep them honest. No one else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gardner/the-citizen-can-bring-our-political-and-governmental-institutions/) [John Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gardner/) > [Talking, talking. Spinning a web of words, pale walls of dreams, between myself and all I see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gardner/talking-talking-spinning-a-web-of-words-pale-walls-of-dreams-between/) [John Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gardner/) > [“In writing short stories—as in writing novels—take one thing at a time. (For some writers, this advice I'm giving may apply best to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gardner/in-writing-short-stories-as-in-writing-novels-take-one-thing-at-a/) [John Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gardner/) > [All order, I've come to understand, is theoretical, unreal, a harmless, sensible, smiling mask men slide between the two great, dark realities, the self…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gardner/all-order-i-ve-come-to-understand-is-theoretical-unreal-a-harmless/) [John Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gardner/) [Explore all 138 John Gardner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gardner/) ## More Telling quotes > [When you put your hand on the Bible, you are saying something much stronger than just telling your peers that you're going to tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-greenwood/when-you-put-your-hand-on-the-bible-you-are-saying-something-much/) [Lee Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-greenwood/) > [If we accept being talked to any kind of a way, then we are telling ourselves we are not quite worth the best. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/if-we-accept-being-talked-to-any-kind-of-a-way-then-we-are-telling/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Story is about pulling the reader in and a plot is a more externalized mechanism of revelation. A plot is more antic, more performative,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-enright/story-is-about-pulling-the-reader-in-and-a-plot-is-a-more/) [Anne Enright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-enright/) > [Telling a story of illness, one pulls a thread through a narrow opening flanked on one side by shame and the other by trivia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-griffin/telling-a-story-of-illness-one-pulls-a-thread-through-a-narrow/) [Susan Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-griffin/) > [Sometimes you have to stop telling folks about themselves and leave it up to them to figure out where they went wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-lobbins/sometimes-you-have-to-stop-telling-folks-about-themselves-and-leave/) [Danielle Lobbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-lobbins/) > [I never want to get caught up in praises. Never want to get caught up in people telling me how good I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarvis-landry/i-never-want-to-get-caught-up-in-praises-never-want-to-get-caught-up/) [Jarvis Landry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarvis-landry/) > [Each child’s story is worthy of telling. There shouldn’t be a sliding scale of death. The weight of it is crushing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anderson-cooper/each-child-s-story-is-worthy-of-telling-there-shouldn-t-be-a-sliding/) [Anderson Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anderson-cooper/) > [“A good threat is often more telling than a blow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/a-good-threat-is-often-more-telling-than-a-blow/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [Your job as a writer is to find storylines, narrative structures, and characters to show the things that you believe rather than saying them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philipp-meyer/your-job-as-a-writer-is-to-find-storylines-narrative-structures-and/) [Philipp Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philipp-meyer/) > [I don't think any crime in the world is greater than telling a child: You're no good at it..!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/i-don-t-think-any-crime-in-the-world-is-greater-than-telling-a-child/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [I get a little tired of people telling me what might have been. I think I've done OK. I don't dwell on what might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-griffey-jr/i-get-a-little-tired-of-people-telling-me-what-might-have-been-i/) [Ken Griffey Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-griffey-jr/) > [The one prediction that never comes true is, 'You'll thank me for telling you this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/the-one-prediction-that-never-comes-true-is-you-ll-thank-me-for/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [Everything, for me, is fueled off telling my story through music, because I have a lot to say, and it's some urgent things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-b/everything-for-me-is-fueled-off-telling-my-story-through-music/) [Lil B](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-b/) > [What's David's role? David looks good, that's what David does. David looks good, and I'm the funny one, that's what I hear constantly. 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