--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Before Gutenberg, there was this really…" description: "\"Before Gutenberg, there was this really very strong oral storytelling culture where being able to relay stories from person to person was sufficient. A..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f1/khoi-vinh-21646_able_before-gutenberg-there-was-this-really-v_2270350.jpg" --- # Before Gutenberg, there was this really very strong oral… ![“Before Gutenberg, there was this really very strong oral storytelling culture where being able to relay stories from person to person was sufficient. And then, with the introduction of printing and mass communication, suddenly somebody had a lot of authority invested in the idea of a single…” quote by Khoi Vinh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f1/khoi-vinh-21646_able_before-gutenberg-there-was-this-really-v_2270350.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f1/khoi-vinh-21646_able_before-gutenberg-there-was-this-really-v_2270350.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f1/khoi-vinh-21646_able_before-gutenberg-there-was-this-really-v_2270350.jpg) > “Before Gutenberg, there was this really very strong oral storytelling culture where being able to relay stories from person to person was sufficient. And then, with the introduction of printing and mass communication, suddenly somebody had a lot of authority invested in the idea of a single canonical expression of a document or a piece of communication.” [Khoi Vinh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khoi-vinh/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Printing shifted authority from communal oral narratives to a single written version, changing how knowledge is shared. **In simple terms:** Printing gave one version more power than many spoken ones. Key Takeaway Recognize multiple perspectives beyond printed texts. Themes media authority storytelling technology culture Mood reflective analytical Type observational critical When to use this quote - education - journalism - marketing - archiving - public speaking Key Concepts information theory social dynamics canon formation Questions to Reflect On - How does media shape what we consider 'authoritative'? - Can we balance oral and printed knowledge? A Different Perspective Oral traditions still influence interpretation despite printed dominance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Expression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expression/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Introduction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/introduction/) [Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass/) [Mass communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass-communication/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Storytelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storytelling/) ## Related quotes > [I'd like to think that we strive in film and theatre to tell great stories, and I believe in the power of storytelling in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-serkis/i-d-like-to-think-that-we-strive-in-film-and-theatre-to-tell-great/) [Andy Serkis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-serkis/) > [I grew up in a storytelling culture, a tribal culture, but also in an American storytelling culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/i-grew-up-in-a-storytelling-culture-a-tribal-culture-but-also-in-an/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [For me, a story's a story if people want to hear it; it's very much based on oral storytelling. And for me, a story…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/for-me-a-story-s-a-story-if-people-want-to-hear-it-it-s-very-much/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) > [“The lively oral storytelling scene in Scots and Gaelic spills over into the majority English-speaking culture, imbuing it with a strong sense of narrative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-sheridan/the-lively-oral-storytelling-scene-in-scots-and-gaelic-spills-over/) [Sara Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-sheridan/) > [Short forms are returning online. Interactivity is coming back; it was always there in oral storytelling. Each form has its pluses and its minuses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/short-forms-are-returning-online-interactivity-is-coming-back-it-was-2/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [Short forms are returning online. 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I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. 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