--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Maybe the truth doesn’t exist if you look…" description: "\"“Maybe the truth doesn’t exist if you look the other way.”\" — Shannon M Mullen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e6/shannon-m-mullen-16615_illusions_maybe-the-truth-doesn-t-exist-if-you-loo_2159847.jpg" --- # Maybe the truth doesn’t exist if you look the other way. ![“Maybe the truth doesn’t exist if you look the other way.” quote by Shannon M Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e6/shannon-m-mullen-16615_illusions_maybe-the-truth-doesn-t-exist-if-you-loo_2159847.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e6/shannon-m-mullen-16615_illusions_maybe-the-truth-doesn-t-exist-if-you-loo_2159847.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e6/shannon-m-mullen-16615_illusions_maybe-the-truth-doesn-t-exist-if-you-loo_2159847.jpg) > ““Maybe the truth doesn’t exist if you look the other way.”” [Shannon M Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-m-mullen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Questions whether truth exists when ignored, suggesting that denial erodes objective reality. **In simple terms:** Truth may vanish when ignored. Key Takeaway Don’t ignore inconvenient facts. Themes philosophy truth perception Mood inquisitive cautious Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - critical thinking - media literacy - scientific inquiry - personal decision‑making Key Concepts epistemology cognitive bias Questions to Reflect On - What truths are you avoiding? - How does denial shape your reality? A Different Perspective Truth can be distorted, not absent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Illusions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illusions/) [Life lessons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-lessons/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [Not to excuse myself, but when you have people right in front of you denying your very presence like that, then see if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/not-to-excuse-myself-but-when-you-have-people-right-in-front-of-you/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Yes colorism does exist if you look at historically what's happened as far as crossing over to pop radio.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathew-knowles/yes-colorism-does-exist-if-you-look-at-historically-what-s-happened/) [Mathew Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathew-knowles/) > [“Maybe the truth is there's a little bit of loser in all of us you know, being happy isn't having everything in your life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/maybe-the-truth-is-there-s-a-little-bit-of-loser-in-all-of-us-you/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) > [Maybe there is more truth in how you feel than in what actually happens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/maybe-there-is-more-truth-in-how-you-feel-than-in-what-actually/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) > [Maybe the truth is I really want to like you instead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/maybe-the-truth-is-i-really-want-to-like-you-instead/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“The fact that he does not tell me the truth all the time makes me not sure of his truth at certain times, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-davis/the-fact-that-he-does-not-tell-me-the-truth-all-the-time-makes-me-not/) [Lydia Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-davis/) > [“Maybe truth is just like that. 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To tell the truth is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/this-is-what-i-do-know-a-lie-however-well-intended-can-t-prepare-you/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) ## More by Shannon M Mullen > [“Suddenly, I’m lighter, only half of who I was.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-m-mullen/suddenly-i-m-lighter-only-half-of-who-i-was/) [Shannon M Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-m-mullen/) > [“Due to their short bloom time, Sakura blossoms are a metaphor for life itself: beautiful yet fleeting. You’ll realize when you’re as old as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-m-mullen/due-to-their-short-bloom-time-sakura-blossoms-are-a-metaphor-for-life/) [Shannon M Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-m-mullen/) > [“Just as I’m about to continue walking along the shoreline, the left third of the iceberg breaks off suddenly and crashes violently, like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-m-mullen/just-as-i-m-about-to-continue-walking-along-the-shoreline-the-left/) [Shannon M Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-m-mullen/) > [“Her eyes remind me of the Pacific: Raging. Fearless. Restless.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-m-mullen/her-eyes-remind-me-of-the-pacific-raging-fearless-restless/) [Shannon M Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-m-mullen/) > [“Is there such a thing as being too happy?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-m-mullen/is-there-such-a-thing-as-being-too-happy/) [Shannon M Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-m-mullen/) > [“Family is the most important thing in this life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-m-mullen/family-is-the-most-important-thing-in-this-life/) [Shannon M Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-m-mullen/) > [“Sometimes our heroes let us down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-m-mullen/sometimes-our-heroes-let-us-down/) [Shannon M Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-m-mullen/) > [“My mind feels like a race car on the track, getting faster and faster every time I pause to think or blink or try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-m-mullen/my-mind-feels-like-a-race-car-on-the-track-getting-faster-and-faster/) [Shannon M Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-m-mullen/) > [“Maybe love’s more than the daily comforts: more than morning coffees and flowers and notes in my lunch bag and holding hands while watching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-m-mullen/maybe-love-s-more-than-the-daily-comforts-more-than-morning-coffees/) [Shannon M Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-m-mullen/) > [“Sometimes you have to fight for the past and sometimes you have to let go.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-m-mullen/sometimes-you-have-to-fight-for-the-past-and-sometimes-you-have-to/) [Shannon M Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-m-mullen/) > [“I guess love distorts our perception of reality, and it’s even harder to recognize the truth when it’s buried underneath layers of what we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-m-mullen/i-guess-love-distorts-our-perception-of-reality-and-it-s-even-harder/) [Shannon M Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-m-mullen/) > [“That’s what mountains do, they taunt you, lure you to the freedom of the wilderness, and it is fucking exhilarating.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-m-mullen/that-s-what-mountains-do-they-taunt-you-lure-you-to-the-freedom-of/) [Shannon M Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-m-mullen/) > [“Who am I fooling? Bad dreams never end. We just pretend they aren’t there.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-m-mullen/who-am-i-fooling-bad-dreams-never-end-we-just-pretend-they-aren-t/) [Shannon M Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-m-mullen/) > [“With thousands of years of history frozen in time, it's no wonder that many southerners like me romanticize the north as a place where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-m-mullen/with-thousands-of-years-of-history-frozen-in-time-it-s-no-wonder-that/) [Shannon M Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-m-mullen/) > [“Sleeping is much safer than the nightmare I’m living. When I sleep I feel nothing and I do nothing and I see nothing and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-m-mullen/sleeping-is-much-safer-than-the-nightmare-i-m-living-when-i-sleep-i/) [Shannon M Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-m-mullen/) [Explore all 39 Shannon M Mullen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-m-mullen/) ## More Illusions quotes > [“To engage in dialogue is to serve others via whatever is real inside you; to engage in debate is to ultimately serve the illusions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oli-anderson/to-engage-in-dialogue-is-to-serve-others-via-whatever-is-real-inside/) [Oli Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oli-anderson/) > [Life and death are illusions. We are in a constant state of transformation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/life-and-death-are-illusions-we-are-in-a-constant-state-of/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [Things aren't always as they appear. I've been believing things to be a certain way because I want them to be that way. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-dennen/things-aren-t-always-as-they-appear-i-ve-been-believing-things-to-be/) [Brett Dennen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-dennen/) > [“If men could see us as we really are, they would be a little amazed; but the cleverest, the acutest men are often under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/if-men-could-see-us-as-we-really-are-they-would-be-a-little-amazed/) [Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [“Fear best lends itself to the creation of Nature-defying illusions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-lovecraft-2/fear-best-lends-itself-to-the-creation-of-nature-defying-illusions/) [H.P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft-2/) > [Strange, isn't it, that no chemical will give a human being the iridescence that illusions have given them? Give me your hat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/strange-isn-t-it-that-no-chemical-will-give-a-human-being-the/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [“A great magician is not more magical than other magicians; he is just more magical in his presentation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/a-great-magician-is-not-more-magical-than-other-magicians-he-is-just/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [“The more you think about illusions, the more they'll swell up and take on form. And no longer be an illusion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-more-you-think-about-illusions-the-more-they-ll-swell-up-and-take/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Of course she had some pathetic illusions about herself or she would not be able to go on living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rhys/of-course-she-had-some-pathetic-illusions-about-herself-or-she-would/) [Jean Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rhys/) > [The most important part of our lives-our sensations, emotions, desires, and aspirations-takes place in a universe of illusions which science can attenuate or destroy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-wood-krutch/the-most-important-part-of-our-lives-our-sensations-emotions-desires/) [Joseph Wood Krutch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-wood-krutch/) > [“we are set free from all the illusions we fostered for so many years of our life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelius-wencel/we-are-set-free-from-all-the-illusions-we-fostered-for-so-many-years/) [Cornelius Wencel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelius-wencel/) > [“Expectations are illusions; Pretense they hang on thin threads.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sir-kristian-goldmund-aumann/expectations-are-illusions-pretense-they-hang-on-thin-threads/) sir kristian goldmund aumann > [“Subhuti, someone might fill innumerable worlds with the seven treasures and give all away in gifts of alms, but if any good man or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddh-rtha-gautama/subhuti-someone-might-fill-innumerable-worlds-with-the-seven/) [Siddhārtha Gautama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddh-rtha-gautama/) > [“The masses have never thirsted after truth. 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