---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In Afghanistan, this is the problem…"
description: "\"In Afghanistan, this is the problem, because everybody holds a piece of that mirror, and they all look at it and claim that they hold the entire truth...."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0be/mohsen-makhmalbaf-24064_afghanistan_in-afghanistan-this-is-the-problem-becau_2883213.png"
---

#  In Afghanistan, this is the problem, because everybody…

![“In Afghanistan, this is the problem, because everybody holds a piece of that mirror, and they all look at it and claim that they hold the entire truth.” quote by Mohsen Makhmalbaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0be/mohsen-makhmalbaf-24064_afghanistan_in-afghanistan-this-is-the-problem-becau_2883213.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0be/mohsen-makhmalbaf-24064_afghanistan_in-afghanistan-this-is-the-problem-becau_2883213.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0be/mohsen-makhmalbaf-24064_afghanistan_in-afghanistan-this-is-the-problem-becau_2883213.png)

> “In Afghanistan, this is the problem, because everybody holds a piece of that mirror, and they all look at it and claim that they hold the entire truth.”

[Mohsen Makhmalbaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsen-makhmalbaf/)

## About This Quote

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

People claim absolute truth while only seeing a fragment of reality, leading to conflict.

**In simple terms:** Everyone sees only a piece of truth.

Key Takeaway

Recognize limited perspectives.

Themes

truth perception conflict relativism

Mood

reflective critical

Type

philosophical observational

When to use this quote

- political debates
- media analysis
- interpersonal disagreements

Key Concepts

epistemology subjectivity social dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

- How does acknowledging partial truth affect disagreements?
- Can multiple perspectives coexist peacefully?

A Different Perspective

Truth is often contested and incomplete.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Afghanistan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afghanistan/) [Afghanistan Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afghanistan-problem-4007551/) [Because](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/because/) [Claim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/claim/) [Entire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entire/) [Entire Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entire-truth-2711747/) [Everybody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everybody/) [Everybody Holds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everybody-holds-4007552/) [Hold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hold/) [Holds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holds/) [Look](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/look/) [Mirror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mirror/) [Piece](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/piece/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Problem Everybody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem-everybody-958111/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/)

## Related quotes

> [As I found while leading special operations forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, if the problem is interconnected, your organization must be, as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-fussell/as-i-found-while-leading-special-operations-forces-in-iraq-and/)

[Chris Fussell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-fussell/)

> [From error to error one discovers the entire truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/from-error-to-error-one-discovers-the-entire-truth/)

[Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/)

> [“It was not a lie. Just not an entire truth. It was the edge of a truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/it-was-not-a-lie-just-not-an-entire-truth-it-was-the-edge-of-a-truth/)

[Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/)

> [“The problem with history is that every story has multiple witnesses, but no witness ever has the entire truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-guilfoile/the-problem-with-history-is-that-every-story-has-multiple-witnesses/)

[Kevin Guilfoile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-guilfoile/)

> [“Anyhow, my point is that you know now that nonfiction is never the entire truth, and fiction is almost never pure fabrication.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-andersen/anyhow-my-point-is-that-you-know-now-that-nonfiction-is-never-the/)

[Ken Andersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-andersen/)

> [The problem is that everybody treats teenagers like they're stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-depp/the-problem-is-that-everybody-treats-teenagers-like-they-re-stupid/)

[Johnny Depp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-depp/)

> [You are one of a kind, one in a billion, an incredible unique individual. The problem is, so is everybody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deacon-jones/you-are-one-of-a-kind-one-in-a-billion-an-incredible-unique/)

[Deacon Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deacon-jones/)

> [I'm not worried about my WrestleMania dream. Trust me. I'm showing up at WrestleMania, and when I do, it's going to be a problem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samoa-joe/i-m-not-worried-about-my-wrestlemania-dream-trust-me-i-m-showing-up/)

[Samoa Joe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samoa-joe/)

> [Everybody thought that Hillary Clinton was gonna win. That's the problem. Everybody thought, nobody was paying attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/everybody-thought-that-hillary-clinton-was-gonna-win-that-s-the/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [Accepting death is a massive problem for everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-jodorowsky/accepting-death-is-a-massive-problem-for-everybody/)

[Alejandro Jodorowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-jodorowsky/)

> [The problem is everybody is worrying about explosive vests and people with AK-47s. We live in a day and age when someone sitting in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-koppel/the-problem-is-everybody-is-worrying-about-explosive-vests-and-people/)

[Ted Koppel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-koppel/)

> [You cannot solve a complicated problem with everybody yelling and screaming at each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-suozzi/you-cannot-solve-a-complicated-problem-with-everybody-yelling-and/)

[Tom Suozzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-suozzi/)

> [The problem is that everybody thinks I play the way I've always played, and that's totally wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-de-boer/the-problem-is-that-everybody-thinks-i-play-the-way-i-ve-always/)

[Frank de Boer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-de-boer/)

> [The more we are using clean energy, renewable energy sources, the less environmentally problematic facilities end up being a problem for everybody, but particularly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-more-we-are-using-clean-energy-renewable-energy-sources-the-less/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [I think the basic problem is that everybody thinks they know what the truth is, and sometimes they're even distorting the truth to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/i-think-the-basic-problem-is-that-everybody-thinks-they-know-what-the/)

[Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/)

## More by Mohsen Makhmalbaf

> [There's an 800 kilometer border between Iran and Afghanistan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsen-makhmalbaf/there-s-an-800-kilometer-border-between-iran-and-afghanistan/)

[Mohsen Makhmalbaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsen-makhmalbaf/)

> [In many ways, it is very real, because I sat there for 9 days, and it was constantly happening, and that was the 9…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsen-makhmalbaf/in-many-ways-it-is-very-real-because-i-sat-there-for-9-days-and-it/)

[Mohsen Makhmalbaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsen-makhmalbaf/)

> [If I make two films in a year, they'll be different. This is my style - I can't have just one way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsen-makhmalbaf/if-i-make-two-films-in-a-year-they-ll-be-different-this-is-my-style-i/)

[Mohsen Makhmalbaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsen-makhmalbaf/)

> [Five years ago, Samira did not want to continue in the regular school system in Iran. To help her with her education, I set…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsen-makhmalbaf/five-years-ago-samira-did-not-want-to-continue-in-the-regular-school/)

[Mohsen Makhmalbaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsen-makhmalbaf/)

> [The Buddhas had to be destroyed by the Taliban to get the world thinking about Afghanistan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsen-makhmalbaf/the-buddhas-had-to-be-destroyed-by-the-taliban-to-get-the-world/)

[Mohsen Makhmalbaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsen-makhmalbaf/)

> [Because there is so little room for expression otherwise, a lot of people love cinema because they find it a way of expressing themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsen-makhmalbaf/because-there-is-so-little-room-for-expression-otherwise-a-lot-of/)

[Mohsen Makhmalbaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsen-makhmalbaf/)

> [When we began filming, these people had legs, but as we were filming, they had been injured and they were brought to the hospital…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsen-makhmalbaf/when-we-began-filming-these-people-had-legs-but-as-we-were-filming/)

[Mohsen Makhmalbaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsen-makhmalbaf/)

> [It was really bizarre, that Sabzian business. You know I had no interest in being photographed before this incident. But then not just Sabzian—many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsen-makhmalbaf/it-was-really-bizarre-that-sabzian-business-you-know-i-had-no/)

[Mohsen Makhmalbaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsen-makhmalbaf/)

> [I myself had to grow a longer beard and Afghan clothes. I was in danger of being kidnapped by smugglers, though I didn't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsen-makhmalbaf/i-myself-had-to-grow-a-longer-beard-and-afghan-clothes-i-was-in/)

[Mohsen Makhmalbaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsen-makhmalbaf/)

> [I've heard about brothers making films, but I've never heard about whole families making films like this. We didn't intend to do it; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsen-makhmalbaf/i-ve-heard-about-brothers-making-films-but-i-ve-never-heard-about/)

[Mohsen Makhmalbaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsen-makhmalbaf/)

> [From my films, you can at least learn about Iran, you can get a sense of the history and the society. But no such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsen-makhmalbaf/from-my-films-you-can-at-least-learn-about-iran-you-can-get-a-sense/)

[Mohsen Makhmalbaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsen-makhmalbaf/)

> [From 7 in the morning to 11 at night, I was reading. I don't think one can find any other time in one's life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsen-makhmalbaf/from-7-in-the-morning-to-11-at-night-i-was-reading-i-don-t-think-one/)

[Mohsen Makhmalbaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsen-makhmalbaf/)

> [A problem was the lack of cooperation of the Afghan community itself. The women, though living in Iran, were under cover and not willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsen-makhmalbaf/a-problem-was-the-lack-of-cooperation-of-the-afghan-community-itself/)

[Mohsen Makhmalbaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsen-makhmalbaf/)

> [The style depends on the subject.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsen-makhmalbaf/the-style-depends-on-the-subject/)

[Mohsen Makhmalbaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsen-makhmalbaf/)

> [But also, there are no films being made about Afghanistan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsen-makhmalbaf/but-also-there-are-no-films-being-made-about-afghanistan/)

[Mohsen Makhmalbaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsen-makhmalbaf/)

[Explore all 25 Mohsen Makhmalbaf quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsen-makhmalbaf/)

## More Afghanistan quotes

> [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [From the bitter cold winter at Valley Forge, to the mountains of Afghanistan and the deserts of Iraq, our soldiers have courageously answered when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solomon-ortiz/from-the-bitter-cold-winter-at-valley-forge-to-the-mountains-of/)

[Solomon Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solomon-ortiz/)

> [The rich people are apparently leaving America. They're giving up their citizenship. These great lovers of America who made their money in this country-when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-rich-people-are-apparently-leaving-america-they-re-giving-up/)

[Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/)

> [They're criminals, they brutalized Afghanistan, they killed our people, they destroyed our land.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamid-karzai/they-re-criminals-they-brutalized-afghanistan-they-killed-our-people/)

[Hamid Karzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamid-karzai/)

> [In 2001, we were told that the war in Afghanistan was a feminist mission. The marines were liberating Afghan women from the Taliban. Can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/in-2001-we-were-told-that-the-war-in-afghanistan-was-a-feminist/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [The terrorist attacks of September 11th and the courageous actions of our armed forces in Afghanistan and Iraq remind us that friends of tyranny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-levin/the-terrorist-attacks-of-september-11th-and-the-courageous-actions-of/)

[Carl Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-levin/)

> [According to a recent Harvard study, $6 trillion, when you include the ongoing healthcare expenses for our wounded soldiers, which is the least they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/according-to-a-recent-harvard-study-6-trillion-when-you-include-the/)

[Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/)

> [You don't bargain with terrorists. You don't appease terrorists. And anybody who believes that this is about something we've done has to ask themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chertoff/you-don-t-bargain-with-terrorists-you-don-t-appease-terrorists-and/)

[Michael Chertoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chertoff/)

> [“I stood with my mom in the cemetery. She felt terrible pain. My grandmother is with God. My mom has to continue living. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-elliot/i-stood-with-my-mom-in-the-cemetery-she-felt-terrible-pain-my/)

[Tucker Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-elliot/)

> [The most successful cultural diplomacy strategy integrates people-to-people or arts/culture/media-to-people interactions into the basic business of diplomacy. The programs in Afghanistan, Egypt, and Iran…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-p-schneider/the-most-successful-cultural-diplomacy-strategy-integrates-people-to/)

[Cynthia P. Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-p-schneider/)

> [Because Iran understands Afghanistan far better than Americans do, making Iran a partner in a long-term effort to transform Afghan agriculture makes sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/because-iran-understands-afghanistan-far-better-than-americans-do/)

[Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/)

> [Thousands of Americans have given their lives in Afghanistan and Iraq upholding their oaths and defending this nation. Chelsea Manning broke her oath and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/thousands-of-americans-have-given-their-lives-in-afghanistan-and-iraq/)

[John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/)

> [I have been to Afghanistan many times, even before the Taliban collapsed. I was fascinated by the country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kabir-khan/i-have-been-to-afghanistan-many-times-even-before-the-taliban/)

[Kabir Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kabir-khan/)

> [There has been sort of, if you will, a moral interventionism on the part of the United States trying to reshape countries in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/there-has-been-sort-of-if-you-will-a-moral-interventionism-on-the/)

[Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/)

> [The legal system in Afghanistan is very immature and porous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-graham/the-legal-system-in-afghanistan-is-very-immature-and-porous/)

[Lindsey Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-graham/)

[Browse all 1,159 Afghanistan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afghanistan/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "In Afghanistan, this is the problem, because everybody holds a piece of that mirror, and they all look at it and claim that they hold the entire truth.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Mohsen Makhmalbaf"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsen-makhmalbaf/in-afghanistan-this-is-the-problem-because-everybody-holds-a-piece-of/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Afghanistan"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsen-makhmalbaf/in-afghanistan-this-is-the-problem-because-everybody-holds-a-piece-of/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0be/mohsen-makhmalbaf-24064_afghanistan_in-afghanistan-this-is-the-problem-becau_2883213.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0be/mohsen-makhmalbaf-24064_afghanistan_in-afghanistan-this-is-the-problem-becau_2883213.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0be/mohsen-makhmalbaf-24064_afghanistan_in-afghanistan-this-is-the-problem-becau_2883213.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“In Afghanistan, this is the problem, because everybody holds a piece of that mirror, and they all look at it…” — Mohsen Makhmalbaf",
                "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": "Mohsen Makhmalbaf",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsen-makhmalbaf/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "In Afghanistan, this is the problem,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsen-makhmalbaf/in-afghanistan-this-is-the-problem-because-everybody-holds-a-piece-of/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsen-makhmalbaf/in-afghanistan-this-is-the-problem-because-everybody-holds-a-piece-of/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
