--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ... it's all words and only words, and…" description: "\"“... it's all words and only words, and beyond the words there's nothing... a word, which, like all the others, can only be explained by more words, bu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/292/jos-saramago-208_language_it-s-all-words-and-only-words-and-beyond_241475.png" --- # ... it's all words and only words, and beyond the words… ![“... it's all words and only words, and beyond the words there's nothing... a word, which, like all the others, can only be explained by more words, but since the words we use to explain things, successfully or not, will, in turn, have to be explained, our conversation will lead nowhere, the…” quote by José Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/292/jos-saramago-208_language_it-s-all-words-and-only-words-and-beyond_241475.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/292/jos-saramago-208_language_it-s-all-words-and-only-words-and-beyond_241475.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/292/jos-saramago-208_language_it-s-all-words-and-only-words-and-beyond_241475.png) > ““... it's all words and only words, and beyond the words there's nothing... a word, which, like all the others, can only be explained by more words, but since the words we use to explain things, successfully or not, will, in turn, have to be explained, our conversation will lead nowhere, the mistaken and the true will alternate, like some kind of curse, and we'll never know what's right and what's wrong. - subhro, the mahout,”” [José Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Language can become an infinite regress, never reaching ultimate truth. **In simple terms:** Words can’t fully explain themselves. Key Takeaway Recognize limits of language. Themes language philosophy communication Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - debates - education - writing - analysis Key Concepts semiotics epistemology Questions to Reflect On - How do you find meaning beyond words? - Can silence convey truth? A Different Perspective Overreliance on words may stall understanding. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words/) ## Related quotes > [Words, words, word. Once, I had the gift. I could make love out of words as a potter makes cups of clay. 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Who else's words would I use?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-paul-evans/i-ve-never-understood-why-people-said-in-your-own-words-who-else-s/) [Richard Paul Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-paul-evans/) > [Criticism is only words about words, and of what use are words about such words as these?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/criticism-is-only-words-about-words-and-of-what-use-are-words-about/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Words are good, but there is something better. The best is not to be explained by words. The spirit in which we act is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/words-are-good-but-there-is-something-better-the-best-is-not-to-be/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [It is not that the meaning cannot be explained. But there are certain meanings that are lost forever the moment they are explained in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/it-is-not-that-the-meaning-cannot-be-explained-but-there-are-certain/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [But there are certain meanings that are lost forever the moment they are explained in words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/but-there-are-certain-meanings-that-are-lost-forever-the-moment-they/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Words are good, but there is something better. The best cannot be explained by words. The spirit in which we act is the chief…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/words-are-good-but-there-is-something-better-the-best-cannot-be/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [The words we use have weight. 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Like words-you take a word and by the time you've finished with it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/my-bag-is-approaching-something-and-taking-it-to-another-place-like/) [Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/) > [Words have no word for words that are not true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/words-have-no-word-for-words-that-are-not-true/) [W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) > [I don't know all the certain words to word it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanilla-ice/i-don-t-know-all-the-certain-words-to-word-it/) [Vanilla Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanilla-ice/) > [“Each word's evocative value or virtue, its individual power of touching springs in the mind and of initiating visions, becomes a treasure to revel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-edward-montague/each-word-s-evocative-value-or-virtue-its-individual-power-of/) [Charles Edward Montague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-edward-montague/) ## More by José Saramago > [“We are born, and at that moment, it is as if we had signed a pact for the rest of our life, but a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/we-are-born-and-at-that-moment-it-is-as-if-we-had-signed-a-pact-for/) [José Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/) > [It takes little or nothing to undo reputations, the merest trifle makes and remakes them, it is simply a question of finding the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/it-takes-little-or-nothing-to-undo-reputations-the-merest-trifle/) [Jose Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/) > [One can show no greater respect than to weep for a stranger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/one-can-show-no-greater-respect-than-to-weep-for-a-stranger/) [Jose Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/) > [I am not a prophet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/i-am-not-a-prophet/) [Jose Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/) > [With the passage of time, as well as the social evolution and genetic exchange, we ended up putting our conscience in the color of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/with-the-passage-of-time-as-well-as-the-social-evolution-and-genetic/) [Jose Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/) > [“Al día siguiente no murió nadie.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/al-d-a-siguiente-no-muri-nadie/) [José Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/) > [“E se as histórias para crianças passassem a ser de leitura obrigatória para os adultos? 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(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": "“... it's all words and only words, and beyond the words there's nothing... a word, which, like all the others, can only be explained by more words, but since the words we use to explain things, successfully or not, will, in turn, have to be explained, our conversation will lead nowhere, the mistaken and the true will alternate, like some kind of curse, and we'll never know what's right and what's wrong. - subhro, the mahout,”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "José Saramago" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/it-s-all-words-and-only-words-and-beyond-the-words-there-s-nothing-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Language" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/it-s-all-words-and-only-words-and-beyond-the-words-there-s-nothing-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/292/jos-saramago-208_language_it-s-all-words-and-only-words-and-beyond_241475.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/292/jos-saramago-208_language_it-s-all-words-and-only-words-and-beyond_241475.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/292/jos-saramago-208_language_it-s-all-words-and-only-words-and-beyond_241475.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“... it's all words and only words, and beyond the words there's nothing... a word, which, like all the…” — José Saramago", "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": "José Saramago", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“... it's all words and only...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/it-s-all-words-and-only-words-and-beyond-the-words-there-s-nothing-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/it-s-all-words-and-only-words-and-beyond-the-words-there-s-nothing-a/#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 } } ] } ```