--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: All stories are lies until someone…" description: "\"“All stories are lies until someone believes in them.”\" — Kelly Barnhill" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ee/kelly-barnhill-18022_storytelling_all-stories-are-lies-until-someone-belie_1070428.jpg" --- # All stories are lies until someone believes in them. ![“All stories are lies until someone believes in them.” quote by Kelly Barnhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ee/kelly-barnhill-18022_storytelling_all-stories-are-lies-until-someone-belie_1070428.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ee/kelly-barnhill-18022_storytelling_all-stories-are-lies-until-someone-belie_1070428.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ee/kelly-barnhill-18022_storytelling_all-stories-are-lies-until-someone-belie_1070428.jpg) > ““All stories are lies until someone believes in them.”” [Kelly Barnhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-barnhill/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Stories shape reality only when listeners accept them as truth, granting power to narrative over fact. **In simple terms:** Stories become truth when believed. Key Takeaway Recognize the influence of belief on narratives. Themes storytelling belief truth power Mood reflective critical inquisitive Type philosophical observational cautionary When to use this quote - marketing - political speech - personal relationships - media consumption Key Concepts Narrative construction social perception psychology Questions to Reflect On - How do you decide which stories to trust? - What responsibility do storytellers have? A Different Perspective Belief can be manipulated, leading to misinformation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Lies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lies/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Storytelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storytelling/) ## Related quotes > [“A person is nothing if not the product of the lies he believes about himself. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-adair/a-person-is-nothing-if-not-the-product-of-the-lies-he-believes-about/) [Bobby Adair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-adair/) > [“The true test of a society isn't how many lies it has; it's how many it believes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-carter-eaton/the-true-test-of-a-society-isn-t-how-many-lies-it-has-it-s-how-many/) [Jason Carter Eaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-carter-eaton/) > [“A man who lies to himself, and believes his own lies, becomes unable to recognize truth, either in himself or in anyone else, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-donovan/a-man-who-lies-to-himself-and-believes-his-own-lies-becomes-unable-to-3/) Dave Donovan > [“He lies to himself the way he lies to me. He believes this. He actually believes that he was good to me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-hawkins/he-lies-to-himself-the-way-he-lies-to-me-he-believes-this-he-actually/) [Paula Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-hawkins/) > [A man who lies to himself, and believes his own lies, becomes unable to recognize truth, either in himself or in anyone else, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/a-man-who-lies-to-himself-and-believes-his-own-lies-becomes-unable-to-2/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“I've begun to wonder if that's all we really need. Just one person who knows us truly. One person who knows the darkness that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-zink/i-ve-begun-to-wonder-if-that-s-all-we-really-need-just-one-person-who/) [Michelle Zink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-zink/) > [“I believe his lies, so he believes mine.' She turns and looks at me straight on. 'That's how it goes at the end of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-murray/i-believe-his-lies-so-he-believes-mine-she-turns-and-looks-at-me/) [Paul Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-murray/) > [“I wondered if that was how the world went round - nothing more than eight billion strangers sitting together and telling each other stories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-vernon/i-wondered-if-that-was-how-the-world-went-round-nothing-more-than/) [Steve Vernon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-vernon/) > [There are two sides to every story. And in the middle of those two stories lies the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/there-are-two-sides-to-every-story-and-in-the-middle-of-those-two/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [All stories are lies, but good stories are lies made of light and fire. They lift our hearts out of the dust and out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-carey/all-stories-are-lies-but-good-stories-are-lies-made-of-light-and-fire/) [Mike Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-carey/) > [A lotta stuff has been written about me that I never said. Stories that were lies. One guy wrote that young as I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-sammartino/a-lotta-stuff-has-been-written-about-me-that-i-never-said-stories/) [Bruno Sammartino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-sammartino/) > [“A man is the stories he tells about himself, and most of those stories are lies. Never look too closely. If you uncover his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-lehane/a-man-is-the-stories-he-tells-about-himself-and-most-of-those-stories/) [Dennis Lehane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-lehane/) > [I wish I could anticipate some of the stories and lies that will be told. It's going to be great to get everyone together…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-conley/i-wish-i-could-anticipate-some-of-the-stories-and-lies-that-will-be/) Larry Conley > [No, Paul, I couldn't care less if you tell me made-up stories. Our lies reveal as much about us as our truths.' (Said to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-paul-i-couldn-t-care-less-if-you-tell-me-made-up-stories-our-lies/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I'm never really upset when a person lies because I don't place much value in truths. When you look at the grand design, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-suggs/i-m-never-really-upset-when-a-person-lies-because-i-don-t-place-much/) [Lionel Suggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-suggs/) ## More by Kelly Barnhill > [“Patience does not run Nor blow, nor skitter, nor falter. Patience is the swell of the ocean; Patience is the sigh of the mountain;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-barnhill/patience-does-not-run-nor-blow-nor-skitter-nor-falter-patience-is-the/) [Kelly Barnhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-barnhill/) > [“It had been years since Xan last walked this trail. Centuries, really. She shivered. Everything looked so different. And yet . . . not.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-barnhill/it-had-been-years-since-xan-last-walked-this-trail-centuries-really/) [Kelly Barnhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-barnhill/) > [“In every breeze exhales the promise of spring, Each sleeping tree dreams green dreams; the barren mountain wakes in blossom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-barnhill/in-every-breeze-exhales-the-promise-of-spring-each-sleeping-tree/) [Kelly Barnhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-barnhill/) > [“Each mortal beast must find it's Ground- be it forrest or fen or field or fire.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-barnhill/each-mortal-beast-must-find-it-s-ground-be-it-forrest-or-fen-or-field/) [Kelly Barnhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-barnhill/) > [“That’s the magic of revisions – every cut is necessary, and every cut hurts, but something new always grows.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-barnhill/that-s-the-magic-of-revisions-every-cut-is-necessary-and-every-cut/) [Kelly Barnhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-barnhill/) > [“Stuff. 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She was ready to be many things at once—child, grown-up, poet, engineer, botanist,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-barnhill/she-was-eleven-after-all-she-was-both-even-and-odd-she-was-ready-to/) [Kelly Barnhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-barnhill/) > [“From grain of sand, Births light births space births infinite time, and to grain of sand do all things return.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-barnhill/from-grain-of-sand-births-light-births-space-births-infinite-time-and/) [Kelly Barnhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-barnhill/) > [“A person's soul is bigger than his body. It takes root and lives in all who love him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-barnhill/a-person-s-soul-is-bigger-than-his-body-it-takes-root-and-lives-in/) [Kelly Barnhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-barnhill/) > [Stories have a tendency to seep across the shining membrane walls separating the universes. They whisper and flutter like the feathers of birds, from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-barnhill/stories-have-a-tendency-to-seep-across-the-shining-membrane-walls/) [Kelly Barnhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-barnhill/) > [“The Fool, when removed from solid ground, leaps- From mountaintop, to burning star, to black, black space. The scholar, when bereft of scroll, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-barnhill/the-fool-when-removed-from-solid-ground-leaps-from-mountaintop-to/) [Kelly Barnhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-barnhill/) > [“Death is always sudden, even when it isn't”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-barnhill/death-is-always-sudden-even-when-it-isn-t/) [Kelly Barnhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-barnhill/) > [“There is no freedom without wholeness, no hope unless the thing that has been broken is restored.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-barnhill/there-is-no-freedom-without-wholeness-no-hope-unless-the-thing-that/) [Kelly Barnhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-barnhill/) [Explore all 36 Kelly Barnhill quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-barnhill/) ## More Believes quotes > [A compromise is the art of dividing a cake in such a way that everyone believes he has the biggest piece.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-erhard/a-compromise-is-the-art-of-dividing-a-cake-in-such-a-way-that/) Ludwig Erhard > [Only he who believes is obedient and only he who is obedient believes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/only-he-who-believes-is-obedient-and-only-he-who-is-obedient-believes/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [If she gives you her heart she believes you are all she needs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/el-jush/if-she-gives-you-her-heart-she-believes-you-are-all-she-needs/) [El Jush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/el-jush/) > [“He is a missionary and believes in God, intensely I mean, but it takes all kinds to make a world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-paton/he-is-a-missionary-and-believes-in-god-intensely-i-mean-but-it-takes/) [Alan Paton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-paton/) > [I see myself as a man who is searching for meaning in life. This is rather different from being a staunch believer in something.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aharon-appelfeld/i-see-myself-as-a-man-who-is-searching-for-meaning-in-life-this-is/) [Aharon Appelfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aharon-appelfeld/) > [I don't think she doesn't believe she can die. I think, just like you always did, she believes there are things worth dying for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/i-don-t-think-she-doesn-t-believe-she-can-die-i-think-just-like-you/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [A frnd iz d one who believes in u even at that time when u believe in urself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-frnd-iz-d-one-who-believes-in-u-even-at-that-time-when-u-believe-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you design a building, you start from a general philosophy, and you come down, and you start from detail and come up. Only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renzo-piano/when-you-design-a-building-you-start-from-a-general-philosophy-and/) [Renzo Piano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renzo-piano/) > [I believe in myself like a five-year-old believes in himself. They say look at me, look at me! Then they do a flip in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/i-believe-in-myself-like-a-five-year-old-believes-in-himself-they-say/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) > [“By night an atheist half believes in God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-young/by-night-an-atheist-half-believes-in-god/) [Edward Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-young/) > [President Clinton not only benefits by gay and lesbian votes, but he benefits by showing the nation that he is a strong leader who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mixner/president-clinton-not-only-benefits-by-gay-and-lesbian-votes-but-he/) [David Mixner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mixner/) > [Cynicism, I contend, is the wailing of someone who believes that things are, or should be, or could be, much, much better than they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-becker/cynicism-i-contend-is-the-wailing-of-someone-who-believes-that-things/) [Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) > [“Everyone believes very easily whatever he fears or desires.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/everyone-believes-very-easily-whatever-he-fears-or-desires/) [Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/) > [“The God I believe in believes in me and won’t silence my heart or others based on a paycheck at the end of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-alder/the-god-i-believe-in-believes-in-me-and-won-t-silence-my-heart-or/) [Shannon Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-alder/) > [It's hard to come across genuine people now a days and no one believes in the truth anymore either.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-hard-to-come-across-genuine-people-now-a-days-and-no-one/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) Browse all 736 Believes quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“All stories are lies until someone believes in them.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kelly Barnhill" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-barnhill/all-stories-are-lies-until-someone-believes-in-them/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Believes" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-barnhill/all-stories-are-lies-until-someone-believes-in-them/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ee/kelly-barnhill-18022_storytelling_all-stories-are-lies-until-someone-belie_1070428.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ee/kelly-barnhill-18022_storytelling_all-stories-are-lies-until-someone-belie_1070428.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ee/kelly-barnhill-18022_storytelling_all-stories-are-lies-until-someone-belie_1070428.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“All stories are lies until someone believes in them.” — Kelly Barnhill", "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": "Kelly Barnhill", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-barnhill/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“All stories are lies until someone...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-barnhill/all-stories-are-lies-until-someone-believes-in-them/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-barnhill/all-stories-are-lies-until-someone-believes-in-them/#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 } } ] } ```