Business Quote by Kenneth Goldsmith
“Language is material to shape and mold, not only a transparent or invisible medium for communication, business contracts, or telling stories.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: "The Language of Materiality", Kenneth Goldsmith, 2015
Language is an active material that shapes reality, not just a passive conduit for messages or contracts.
In simple terms: Language actively shapes reality.
Key Takeaway
Recognize language's power to construct meaning.
Themes
creativity
power
construction
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
philosophical
theoretical
When to use this quote
- writing workshops
- advertising
- political discourse
- education
- design
Key Concepts
materialism
semiotics
constructionism
Questions to Reflect On
- How does material language influence perception?
- In what ways can we use language to reshape reality?
A Different Perspective
Language alone cannot convey truth without context.
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)