--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But human beings do not perceive things…" description: "\"“But human beings do not perceive things whole; we are not gods but wounded creatures, cracked lenses, capable only of fractured perceptions. Partial b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/323/salman-rushdie-153_small-victories_but-human-beings-do-not-perceive-things_1007477.jpg" --- # But human beings do not perceive things whole; we are not… ![“But human beings do not perceive things whole; we are not gods but wounded creatures, cracked lenses, capable only of fractured perceptions. Partial beings, in all the senses of that phrase. Meaning is a shaky edifice we build out of scraps, dogmas, childhood injuries, newspaper articles, chance…” quote by Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/323/salman-rushdie-153_small-victories_but-human-beings-do-not-perceive-things_1007477.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/323/salman-rushdie-153_small-victories_but-human-beings-do-not-perceive-things_1007477.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/323/salman-rushdie-153_small-victories_but-human-beings-do-not-perceive-things_1007477.jpg) > ““But human beings do not perceive things whole; we are not gods but wounded creatures, cracked lenses, capable only of fractured perceptions. Partial beings, in all the senses of that phrase. Meaning is a shaky edifice we build out of scraps, dogmas, childhood injuries, newspaper articles, chance remarks, old films, small victories, people hated, people loved; perhaps it is because our sense of what is the case is constructed from such inadequate materials that we defend it so fiercely, even to the death.”” [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human perception is fragmented; we construct meaning from incomplete, biased fragments, leading to fierce defense of our views. **In simple terms:** We see the world in pieces and cling to our shaky beliefs. Key Takeaway Question your assumptions and seek broader perspectives. Themes perception meaning identity truth defense Mood reflective critical thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal relationships - political debates - media consumption - educational curricula Key Concepts constructionism subjectivity cognitive bias Questions to Reflect On - How do you know when your belief is based on incomplete evidence? - What steps can you take to broaden your perspective? A Different Perspective Our fragmented view can limit empathy and understanding. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Newspaper Article](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/newspaper-article/) [Small victories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-victories/) ## Related quotes > [Human beings do not perceive things whole; we are not gods but wounded creatures, cracked lenses, capably only of fractured perceptions. 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I just want to make cartoons for human beings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kricfalusi/my-intended-audience-was-everybody-i-just-want-to-make-cartoons-for/) [John Kricfalusi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kricfalusi/) > [Everyone else on the planet, from the lowest amoebae to the great blue whale, expresses all their component elements in a perfect dance with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-lore/everyone-else-on-the-planet-from-the-lowest-amoebae-to-the-great-blue/) [Nicholas Lore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-lore/) > [I have never really been fond of animals. I certainly wasn't an 'animal lover' when I became involved in the movement. I just came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/i-have-never-really-been-fond-of-animals-i-certainly-wasn-t-an-animal/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [As human beings, we aren't as individual as we'd like to believe we are. 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Wirthlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-b-wirthlin/) Browse all 979 Beings quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But human beings do not perceive things whole; we are not gods but wounded creatures, cracked lenses, capable only of fractured perceptions. Partial beings, in all the senses of that phrase. 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