--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Words also are filters. They have to be…" description: "\"Words also are filters. They have to be translated. Even in the original language, there is interpretation and some ambiguity. If there's a cultural di..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efc/marjane-satrapi-1702_ambiguity_words-also-are-filters-they-have-to-be-t_1411971.jpg" --- # Words also are filters. They have to be translated. Even… ![“Words also are filters. They have to be translated. Even in the original language, there is interpretation and some ambiguity. If there's a cultural difference between the writer and the reader, that might come out in words. But with pictures, there's more efficiency.” quote by Marjane Satrapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efc/marjane-satrapi-1702_ambiguity_words-also-are-filters-they-have-to-be-t_1411971.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efc/marjane-satrapi-1702_ambiguity_words-also-are-filters-they-have-to-be-t_1411971.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efc/marjane-satrapi-1702_ambiguity_words-also-are-filters-they-have-to-be-t_1411971.jpg) > “Words also are filters. They have to be translated. Even in the original language, there is interpretation and some ambiguity. If there's a cultural difference between the writer and the reader, that might come out in words. But with pictures, there's more efficiency.” [Marjane Satrapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjane-satrapi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Words carry cultural bias and ambiguity, while images convey meaning more directly across languages. **In simple terms:** Language can mislead; pictures often clarify. Key Takeaway Use visual aids to bridge cultural gaps. Themes communication culture translation visual literacy Mood insightful practical Type educational artistic When to use this quote - international business - education - multilingual media production Key Concepts semiotics cross‑cultural studies visual storytelling Questions to Reflect On - How can visuals be misread? - When do words outperform images? A Different Perspective Images can still be interpreted differently across cultures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ambiguity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambiguity/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Cultural differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cultural-differences/) [Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/) [Efficiency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/efficiency/) [Filters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/filters/) [Filters Translated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/filters-translated-4977624/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Interpretation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interpretation/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Language Interpretation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language-interpretation-4977625/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Originals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/originals/) [Reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reader/) [Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words/) [Words Filters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words-filters-4977623/) [Words Pictures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words-pictures-767578/) ## Related quotes > [“I don’t know who said a picture is worth a thousand words, but whoever said it is wrong. Words and pictures should not, cannot,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-brandt/i-don-t-know-who-said-a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words-but-whoever/) [Anne Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-brandt/) > [In other words the pictures are in a kind of relationship with each other which is touching only at points rather than pictures being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-porter/in-other-words-the-pictures-are-in-a-kind-of-relationship-with-each/) [Peter Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-porter/) > [Comics are words and pictures. You can do anything with words and pictures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-pekar/comics-are-words-and-pictures-you-can-do-anything-with-words-and/) [Harvey Pekar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-pekar/) > [What excites me about picture books is the gap between pictures and words. Sometimes the pictures can tell a slightly different story or tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-browne/what-excites-me-about-picture-books-is-the-gap-between-pictures-and/) [Anthony Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-browne/) > [I like to look at the interface between words and pictures and wonder about which comes first, a sort of chicken-or-egg type of question.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-equi/i-like-to-look-at-the-interface-between-words-and-pictures-and-wonder/) [Elaine Equi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-equi/) > [I hope for quick, fluent copy and memorable pictures. The words would not 'describe' the pictures; the pictures would not 'illustrate' the words. Together,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-rukeyser/i-hope-for-quick-fluent-copy-and-memorable-pictures-the-words-would/) [Muriel Rukeyser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-rukeyser/) > [I did all the stuff that people do - film, performance, photography, pictures and words, words and pictures. In retrospect, I was trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-salle/i-did-all-the-stuff-that-people-do-film-performance-photography/) [David Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-salle/) > [Still photographs are the most powerful weapons in the world. Words and pictures have a continuing struggle for primacy. In my mind, a person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-adams/still-photographs-are-the-most-powerful-weapons-in-the-world-words/) [Eddie Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-adams/) > [I love picture books - with picture books, you can use words and pictures as a double act, even tell two different versions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mini-grey/i-love-picture-books-with-picture-books-you-can-use-words-and/) [Mini Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mini-grey/) > [Words are but pictures of our thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/words-are-but-pictures-of-our-thoughts/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Words and pictures can work together to communicate more powerfully than either alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-albert-allard/words-and-pictures-can-work-together-to-communicate-more-powerfully/) [William Albert Allard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-albert-allard/) > [Ladies and gentlemen, a picture is not worth a thousand words. We found some pictures that are worth 500 billion words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erez-lieberman-aiden/ladies-and-gentlemen-a-picture-is-not-worth-a-thousand-words-we-found/) [Erez Lieberman Aiden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erez-lieberman-aiden/) > [“You have no tail!" said Brightspot. her own whipped suddenly forward; she stared, first at it, then at Wilson."How do you manage?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-kagan/you-have-no-tail-said-brightspot-her-own-whipped-suddenly-forward-she/) [Janet Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-kagan/) > [“Sometimes new data reveals cultural differences I had never even contemplated. One example: the very different ways that men around the world respond to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-stephens-davidowitz/sometimes-new-data-reveals-cultural-differences-i-had-never-even/) [Seth Stephens-Davidowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-stephens-davidowitz/) > [“Project managers operate in a global environment and work on projects characterized by cultural diversity. Team members often have diverse industry experience, know multiple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/project-managers-operate-in-a-global-environment-and-work-on-projects/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Marjane Satrapi > [I became the voice of a generation in a very surprising way, because many Iranians recognize themselves in it. But that is not what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjane-satrapi/i-became-the-voice-of-a-generation-in-a-very-surprising-way-because/) [Marjane Satrapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjane-satrapi/) > [With live-action I think we'd have lost the universal appeal of the Persepolis story. With live-action, it would have turned into a story of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjane-satrapi/with-live-action-i-think-we-d-have-lost-the-universal-appeal-of-the/) [Marjane Satrapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjane-satrapi/) > [I don't like the word 'autobiography.' I rather like the term 'autofiction.' The second you make a script out of the story of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjane-satrapi/i-don-t-like-the-word-autobiography-i-rather-like-the-term/) [Marjane Satrapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjane-satrapi/) > [I don't think that I have ever been rebellious. The thing is that I don't believe in people - what people tell me. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjane-satrapi/i-don-t-think-that-i-have-ever-been-rebellious-the-thing-is-that-i/) [Marjane Satrapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjane-satrapi/) > [Drawing is the first language of the human being before writing. It's a transcription of how the human being sees reality, not reality itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjane-satrapi/drawing-is-the-first-language-of-the-human-being-before-writing-it-s/) [Marjane Satrapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjane-satrapi/) > [I was a westerner in Iran, an Iranian in the West. I had no identity. I didn't even know anymore why I was living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjane-satrapi/i-was-a-westerner-in-iran-an-iranian-in-the-west-i-had-no-identity-i/) [Marjane Satrapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjane-satrapi/) > [I'm not a politician. I don't know how to solve the problems of the world. But as an artist, I have one duty: to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjane-satrapi/i-m-not-a-politician-i-don-t-know-how-to-solve-the-problems-of-the/) [Marjane Satrapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjane-satrapi/) > [A cat can never be well-trained because they're too independent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjane-satrapi/a-cat-can-never-be-well-trained-because-they-re-too-independent/) [Marjane Satrapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjane-satrapi/) > [It's fear that makes us lose our conscience. It's also what transforms us into cowards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjane-satrapi/it-s-fear-that-makes-us-lose-our-conscience-it-s-also-what-transforms/) [Marjane Satrapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjane-satrapi/) > [I am absolutely not a feminist, I am against stupidity, and if it comes from males or females, it doesn't change anything. If it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjane-satrapi/i-am-absolutely-not-a-feminist-i-am-against-stupidity-and-if-it-comes/) [Marjane Satrapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjane-satrapi/) > [I was a child who had a life, who had hopes, and I wished that a bomb would not fall on my head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjane-satrapi/i-was-a-child-who-had-a-life-who-had-hopes-and-i-wished-that-a-bomb/) [Marjane Satrapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjane-satrapi/) > [There are things that I love in Iranian cinema and things that I don't. In Iranian cinema, you have to use metaphor because you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjane-satrapi/there-are-things-that-i-love-in-iranian-cinema-and-things-that-i-don/) [Marjane Satrapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjane-satrapi/) > [I had learned that you should always shout louder than your aggressor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjane-satrapi/i-had-learned-that-you-should-always-shout-louder-than-your-aggressor/) [Marjane Satrapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjane-satrapi/) > [In the West, people don't have any real problems. It's all based on bad conscience, a very Christian notion. I don't have any bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjane-satrapi/in-the-west-people-don-t-have-any-real-problems-it-s-all-based-on-bad/) [Marjane Satrapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjane-satrapi/) > [When we're afraid, we lose all sense of analysis and reflection. Our fear paralyzes us. Besides, fear has always been the driving force behind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjane-satrapi/when-we-re-afraid-we-lose-all-sense-of-analysis-and-reflection-our/) [Marjane Satrapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjane-satrapi/) [Explore all 204 Marjane Satrapi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjane-satrapi/) ## More Ambiguity quotes > [The position is clear - there is no ambiguity in Sinn Fein's position. We, along with all the other parties, have signed up to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mcguinness/the-position-is-clear-there-is-no-ambiguity-in-sinn-fein-s-position/) [Martin McGuinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mcguinness/) > [Ambiguity is necessary in some of my stories, not in all. In those, it certainly contributes to the richness of the story. I doubt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/ambiguity-is-necessary-in-some-of-my-stories-not-in-all-in-those-it/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [During the Cold War, we lived in coded times when it wasn't easy and there were shades of grey and ambiguity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/during-the-cold-war-we-lived-in-coded-times-when-it-wasn-t-easy-and/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [You cannot grow in the integrative dance of action and contemplation without a strong tolerance for ambiguity, an ability to allow, forgive, and contain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/you-cannot-grow-in-the-integrative-dance-of-action-and-contemplation/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) > [I blame my grandfather 100 percent for his oldest son's death. I don't think there's any ambiguity there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-l-trump/i-blame-my-grandfather-100-percent-for-his-oldest-son-s-death-i-don-t/) [Mary L. Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-l-trump/) > [I think the relationship between social-dominance orientation in people and the extent to which they're made uncomfortable by ambiguity and novelty is really important.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/i-think-the-relationship-between-social-dominance-orientation-in/) [Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/) > [Yet again, an ancient answer echoes across the centuries: Listen! Listen to stories! For what stories do, above all else, is hold up a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-kurtz/yet-again-an-ancient-answer-echoes-across-the-centuries-listen-listen/) [Ernest Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-kurtz/) > [My path to wisdom began when I stopped pretending to know things I didn't know. When I explicitly admitted to the limits of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-max/my-path-to-wisdom-began-when-i-stopped-pretending-to-know-things-i/) [Tucker Max](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-max/) > [If there is a single tragic flaw that mars our biggest enterprises, it is conservatism - the failure to fail, and fail big, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/if-there-is-a-single-tragic-flaw-that-mars-our-biggest-enterprises-it/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [In order to be as free as I possibly can, in my own imagination, I can't take positions that are closed. Everything I've ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/in-order-to-be-as-free-as-i-possibly-can-in-my-own-imagination-i-can/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [I've always been drawn to ambiguity in pop music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-furman/i-ve-always-been-drawn-to-ambiguity-in-pop-music/) [Ezra Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-furman/) > [I believe that we can still have a genre of scientific books suitable for and accessible alike to professionals and interested laypeople. The concepts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/i-believe-that-we-can-still-have-a-genre-of-scientific-books-suitable/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [I am in the utmost perplexity, yand have wished a hundred times, that if there is a A God, nature would manifest him without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/i-am-in-the-utmost-perplexity-yand-have-wished-a-hundred-times-that/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [There's a lot of ambiguity in life, and so often, our art is very neatly wrapped up at the end, when our lives never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-coon/there-s-a-lot-of-ambiguity-in-life-and-so-often-our-art-is-very/) [Carrie Coon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-coon/) > [“Man must not attempt to dispel the ambiguity of his being but, on the contrary, accept the task of realizing it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/man-must-not-attempt-to-dispel-the-ambiguity-of-his-being-but-on-the/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) [Browse all 431 Ambiguity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambiguity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Words also are filters. 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