--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Because I have been a magician for many…" description: "\"Because I have been a magician for many years, people have often asked me whether I ever have sawn a woman in half. I reply, Oh, yes I've sawn over sev..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c8/raymond-smullyan-35913_half_because-i-have-been-a-magician-for-many_1518921.jpg" --- # Because I have been a magician for many years, people have… ![“Because I have been a magician for many years, people have often asked me whether I ever have sawn a woman in half. I reply, Oh, yes I've sawn over seventy women in half in my lifetime, and I'm learning the second half of the trick now.” quote by Raymond Smullyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c8/raymond-smullyan-35913_half_because-i-have-been-a-magician-for-many_1518921.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c8/raymond-smullyan-35913_half_because-i-have-been-a-magician-for-many_1518921.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c8/raymond-smullyan-35913_half_because-i-have-been-a-magician-for-many_1518921.jpg) > “Because I have been a magician for many years, people have often asked me whether I ever have sawn a woman in half. I reply, Oh, yes I've sawn over seventy women in half in my lifetime, and I'm learning the second half of the trick now.” [Raymond Smullyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-smullyan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker uses humor to illustrate that expertise often involves mastering both parts of a skill, and that learning never truly ends. **In simple terms:** Expertise requires mastering all parts, and learning continues. Key Takeaway Embrace continual learning and practice both sides. Themes humor expertise learning Mood playful thoughtful Type anecdotal philosophical When to use this quote - stage performance - teaching - skill development - career growth Key Concepts recursive logic self-referential jokes Questions to Reflect On - What part of your craft do you still consider unfinished? - How can humor reveal hidden challenges? A Different Perspective The joke may downplay the seriousness of mastering complex tasks. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Lifetime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lifetime/) [Magician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magician/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Seventies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seventies/) ## Related quotes > [The noble woman is half a man, even a complete one. 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It would be harder to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/it-s-easy-to-dislike-the-few-senior-women-out-there-what-if-women/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [Women are half the population of the world, and yet there are so few female characters on-screen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geena-davis/women-are-half-the-population-of-the-world-and-yet-there-are-so-few/) [Geena Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geena-davis/) > [Women are the half of the engine of our societies; they are half of the engines of our economies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arancha-gonzalez/women-are-the-half-of-the-engine-of-our-societies-they-are-half-of/) [Arancha Gonzalez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arancha-gonzalez/) ## More by Raymond Smullyan > [Why should I be worried about death?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-smullyan/why-should-i-be-worried-about-death/) [Raymond Smullyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-smullyan/) > [Humor could not flourish in a wholly serious and rational atmosphere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-smullyan/humor-could-not-flourish-in-a-wholly-serious-and-rational-atmosphere/) [Raymond Smullyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-smullyan/) > [Why should I be worried about dying? It's not going to happen in my lifetime!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-smullyan/why-should-i-be-worried-about-dying-it-s-not-going-to-happen-in-my/) [Raymond Smullyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-smullyan/) > [There is nothing like a naturalistic orientation to dispel all these morbid thoughts of "sin" and "free will" and "moral responsibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-smullyan/there-is-nothing-like-a-naturalistic-orientation-to-dispel-all-these/) [Raymond Smullyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-smullyan/) > [Recently, someone asked me if I believed in astrology. He seemed somewhat puzzled when I explained that the reason I don't is that I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-smullyan/recently-someone-asked-me-if-i-believed-in-astrology-he-seemed/) [Raymond Smullyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-smullyan/) > [All my life I have been intensely repelled by the idea of 'making an effort'. I hate this idea today as much as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-smullyan/all-my-life-i-have-been-intensely-repelled-by-the-idea-of-making-an/) [Raymond Smullyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-smullyan/) > [I have free will, but not of my own choice. I have never freely chosen to have free will. I have to have free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-smullyan/i-have-free-will-but-not-of-my-own-choice-i-have-never-freely-chosen/) [Raymond Smullyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-smullyan/) > [It has always puzzled me that so many people have taken it for granted that God favors those who believe in him. Isn't it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-smullyan/it-has-always-puzzled-me-that-so-many-people-have-taken-it-for/) [Raymond Smullyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-smullyan/) > [I believe that either Jupiter has life or it doesn't. But I neither believe that it does, nor do I believe that it doesn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-smullyan/i-believe-that-either-jupiter-has-life-or-it-doesn-t-but-i-neither/) [Raymond Smullyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-smullyan/) > [Why do I act as I do? To tell you the truth, I have absolutely no idea why. It is simply my nature to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-smullyan/why-do-i-act-as-i-do-to-tell-you-the-truth-i-have-absolutely-no-idea/) [Raymond Smullyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-smullyan/) > [Some people are always critical of vague statements. 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First I show you but a quarter, Like the bow that guards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/i-with-borrow-d-silver-shine-what-you-see-is-none-of-mine-first-i/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [If you want to change something by Tuesday, theater is no good. Journalism is what does that. But, if you want to just alter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/if-you-want-to-change-something-by-tuesday-theater-is-no-good/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [I spend a lot of time loathing the sentences that I put down on the page. 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