---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Strong words outlast the paper they are…"
description: "\"Strong words outlast the paper they are written upon.\" — Joseph Bruchac"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae9/joseph-bruchac-22507_language_strong-words-outlast-the-paper-they-are_2922324.png"
---

#  Strong words outlast the paper they are written upon.

![“Strong words outlast the paper they are written upon.” quote by Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae9/joseph-bruchac-22507_language_strong-words-outlast-the-paper-they-are_2922324.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae9/joseph-bruchac-22507_language_strong-words-outlast-the-paper-they-are_2922324.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae9/joseph-bruchac-22507_language_strong-words-outlast-the-paper-they-are_2922324.png)

> “Strong words outlast the paper they are written upon.”

[Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/)

## About This Quote

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

Words endure longer than the physical medium that carries them.

**In simple terms:** Ideas outlast paper.

Key Takeaway

Write ideas that survive time.

Themes

legacy communication endurance

Mood

thoughtful reflective

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- historical documentation
- digital archiving
- personal journals
- artistic expression

Key Concepts

ephemerality cultural transmission

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you preserve your ideas?
- What mediums ensure longevity?

A Different Perspective

Physical media can be lost or destroyed.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Outlast Paper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outlast-paper-4261422/) [Paper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paper/) [Paper Written](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paper-written-385660/) [Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong/) [Strong words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong-words/) [Words Outlast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words-outlast-4263927/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/)

## Related quotes

> [Wikipedians believe (and I do, too) that bits, being abstract, will outlast paper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/wikipedians-believe-and-i-do-too-that-bits-being-abstract-will/)

[James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/)

> [“It's a fiendishly difficult thing to do because paper that has been written on doesn't burn easily.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhael-bulgakov/it-s-a-fiendishly-difficult-thing-to-do-because-paper-that-has-been/)

[Mikhael Bulgakov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhael-bulgakov/)

> [The spirit of Christianity proclaims the brotherhood of the race and the meaning of that strong word has not been left to guesswork, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-spirit-of-christianity-proclaims-the-brotherhood-of-the-race-and/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [In 2008, Bitcoin was mysteriously introduced to the world in an obscure, technical paper written under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. By late 2013, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hanke/in-2008-bitcoin-was-mysteriously-introduced-to-the-world-in-an/)

[Steve Hanke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hanke/)

> [“It was time to begin making notes on how the search was going, the people he had met, the conversations he had had, his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/it-was-time-to-begin-making-notes-on-how-the-search-was-going-the/)

[José Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/)

> [A verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-goldwyn/a-verbal-contract-isn-t-worth-the-paper-it-s-written-on/)

[Samuel Goldwyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-goldwyn/)

> [“Dear Jim." The writing grew suddenly blurred and misty. And she had lost him again--had lost him again! At the sight of the familiar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethel-lillian-voynich/dear-jim-the-writing-grew-suddenly-blurred-and-misty-and-she-had-lost/)

[Ethel Lillian Voynich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethel-lillian-voynich/)

> [“Between George W. Bush and Barack Obama, the US Constitution is no longer worth the paper it's written on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/between-george-w-bush-and-barack-obama-the-us-constitution-is-no/)

[Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/)

> [“If left unexecuted, even the greatest competitive strategies are not worth the paper on which they were written.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-lowitt/if-left-unexecuted-even-the-greatest-competitive-strategies-are-not/)

[Eric Lowitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-lowitt/)

> [“A verbal contract is worth about as much as the paper it's written on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-goldwyn/a-verbal-contract-is-worth-about-as-much-as-the-paper-it-s-written-on/)

[Samuel Goldwyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-goldwyn/)

> [Of course a politician's promise isn't worth the paper it's written on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-pearce/of-course-a-politician-s-promise-isn-t-worth-the-paper-it-s-written-on/)

[Russell Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-pearce/)

> [Now everybody who knows anything at all knows perfectly well that even a business letter does not deserve the paper on which it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-hallowell-abbott/now-everybody-who-knows-anything-at-all-knows-perfectly-well-that/)

[Eleanor Hallowell Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-hallowell-abbott/)

> [“An oral contract isn't worth the paper it's written on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-goldwyn-jr/an-oral-contract-isn-t-worth-the-paper-it-s-written-on/)

[Sam Goldwyn Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-goldwyn-jr/)

> [It is not worth the paper it is written on unless it is backed by the kind of force that will make the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yitzhak-rabin/it-is-not-worth-the-paper-it-is-written-on-unless-it-is-backed-by-the/)

[Yitzhak Rabin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yitzhak-rabin/)

> [“Remind me again why I put up with you?" ''Cause you sold me your soul for five bucks, and now you must submit to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bethany-frenette/remind-me-again-why-i-put-up-with-you-cause-you-sold-me-your-soul-for/)

[Bethany Frenette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bethany-frenette/)

## More by Joseph Bruchac

> [Do we make ourselves into what we become or is it built into our genes, into the fate spun for us by whatever shapes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/do-we-make-ourselves-into-what-we-become-or-is-it-built-into-our/)

[Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/)

> [“The old man must have stopped our car two dozen times to climb out and gather into his hands the small toads blinded by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/the-old-man-must-have-stopped-our-car-two-dozen-times-to-climb-out/)

[Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/)

> [Guilt can make you doubt yourself at the very moment when you need to proceed with certainty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/guilt-can-make-you-doubt-yourself-at-the-very-moment-when-you-need-to/)

[Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/)

> [Knowledge is easy to come by. Understanding what you know takes much longer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/knowledge-is-easy-to-come-by-understanding-what-you-know-takes-much/)

[Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/)

> [There are many people who could claim and learn from their Indian ancestry, but because of the fear their parents and grandparents knew, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/there-are-many-people-who-could-claim-and-learn-from-their-indian/)

[Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/)

> [The best teachers have showed me that things have to be done bit by bit. Nothing that means anything happens quickly--we only think it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/the-best-teachers-have-showed-me-that-things-have-to-be-done-bit-by/)

[Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/)

> [There is a kind of certainty that seems to characterize Jared Smith's best work, an understanding about place and the flow of spirit that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/there-is-a-kind-of-certainty-that-seems-to-characterize-jared-smith-s/)

[Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/)

> [It is important to understand that there are many different ways of seeing the world and expressing the wisdom of Native belief...No one voice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/it-is-important-to-understand-that-there-are-many-different-ways-of/)

[Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/)

> [Native people such as the Cherokees are just as human and complex and real as Americans are, and our nation needs to respect American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/native-people-such-as-the-cherokees-are-just-as-human-and-complex-and/)

[Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/)

> [“So it is that both this breathing moment and what is called "the future"are always linked with what is called "the past." So it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/so-it-is-that-both-this-breathing-moment-and-what-is-called-the/)

[Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/)

> [“Librarians. . . have been my lifelong friends, guides and heroes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/librarians-have-been-my-lifelong-friends-guides-and-heroes/)

[Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/)

> [When the Lakota leader Sitting Bull was asked by a white reporter why his people loved and respected him, Sitting Bull replied by asking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/when-the-lakota-leader-sitting-bull-was-asked-by-a-white-reporter-why/)

[Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/)

> [“I wish you had been there with me in that picture,” he used to say to Wilsie and me. “It is so lonely being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/i-wish-you-had-been-there-with-me-in-that-picture-he-used-to-say-to/)

[Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/)

> [We need to walk to know sacred places, those around us and those within. We need to walk to remember the songs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/we-need-to-walk-to-know-sacred-places-those-around-us-and-those/)

[Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/)

> [A journal is a very personal thing. As far as possible, to write this sort of book you need to know and feel your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/a-journal-is-a-very-personal-thing-as-far-as-possible-to-write-this/)

[Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/)

[Explore all 27 Joseph Bruchac quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/)

## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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": "Strong words outlast the paper they are written upon.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Joseph Bruchac"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/strong-words-outlast-the-paper-they-are-written-upon/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Language"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/strong-words-outlast-the-paper-they-are-written-upon/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae9/joseph-bruchac-22507_language_strong-words-outlast-the-paper-they-are_2922324.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae9/joseph-bruchac-22507_language_strong-words-outlast-the-paper-they-are_2922324.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae9/joseph-bruchac-22507_language_strong-words-outlast-the-paper-they-are_2922324.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Strong words outlast the paper they are written upon.” — Joseph Bruchac",
                "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": "Joseph Bruchac",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Strong words outlast the paper they...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/strong-words-outlast-the-paper-they-are-written-upon/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/strong-words-outlast-the-paper-they-are-written-upon/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
