--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Reality does not easily give up meaning…" description: "\"Reality does not easily give up meaning; it's the biographer's job to clobber it into submission. You're meant not only to tame it but to extract subst..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/898/stacy-schiff-7881_cause_reality-does-not-easily-give-up-meaning_524142.png" --- # Reality does not easily give up meaning; it's the… ![“Reality does not easily give up meaning; it's the biographer's job to clobber it into submission. You're meant not only to tame it but to extract substance, to identify cause and axiomatic effect. You subsist on the tactical omissions, the hollow words, the oddly unconnected dots.” quote by Stacy Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/898/stacy-schiff-7881_cause_reality-does-not-easily-give-up-meaning_524142.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/898/stacy-schiff-7881_cause_reality-does-not-easily-give-up-meaning_524142.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/898/stacy-schiff-7881_cause_reality-does-not-easily-give-up-meaning_524142.png) > “Reality does not easily give up meaning; it's the biographer's job to clobber it into submission. You're meant not only to tame it but to extract substance, to identify cause and axiomatic effect. You subsist on the tactical omissions, the hollow words, the oddly unconnected dots.” [Stacy Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-schiff/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote suggests that meaning is not readily apparent; it must be shaped by the biographer who extracts cause, effect, and substance, often through selective omission and connecting disparate details. **In simple terms:** Meaning must be crafted by the writer, not simply found. Key Takeaway Shape meaning through selective focus. Themes interpretation writing analysis Mood reflective analytical Type literary critical philosophical When to use this quote - historical writing - journalism - creative nonfiction - research - editing Key Concepts Narrative construction causality selective omission Questions to Reflect On - How do you decide what to omit? - What responsibility does a writer have to the truth? A Different Perspective It may overlook the subject's own voice or complexity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Extract](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extract/) [Job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/job/) [Meaning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaning/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Submission](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/submission/) [Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words/) ## Related quotes > [The idea of submission is never meant to allow someone to overstep another's boundaries. Submission only has meaning in the context of boundaries, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/the-idea-of-submission-is-never-meant-to-allow-someone-to-overstep/) [Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/) > [“Art extracted from the most familiar reality does indeed exist and its domain is perhaps the largest of any.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/art-extracted-from-the-most-familiar-reality-does-indeed-exist-and/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [“Agreement doesn't make truth---reality does.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-w-southwick/agreement-doesn-t-make-truth-reality-does/) [S.W. Southwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-w-southwick/) > [Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/literature-adds-to-reality-it-does-not-simply-describe-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Reality does not change. How you see it does.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murad-s-shah/reality-does-not-change-how-you-see-it-does/) [Murad S. Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murad-s-shah/) > [People live their lives bound by what they accept as correct and true that is how they define reality. But what does it mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kishimoto-masashi-uchiha-itachi-chapter-385/people-live-their-lives-bound-by-what-they-accept-as-correct-and-true-2/) Kishimoto Masashi Uchiha Itachi - chapter 385 > [Reality does not cease to exist just because you refuse see it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/reality-does-not-cease-to-exist-just-because-you-refuse-see-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Reality does get a bad rap. But I'm not concerned about it 'cause I know who I am. They can edit it, but you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niecy-nash/reality-does-get-a-bad-rap-but-i-m-not-concerned-about-it-cause-i/) [Niecy Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niecy-nash/) > [Reality does appear to exist, there does appear to be birth, youth, people appear to have children. But all of it's a dream. These…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/reality-does-appear-to-exist-there-does-appear-to-be-birth-youth/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Reality is what one does not perceive when one perceives it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niklas-luhmann/reality-is-what-one-does-not-perceive-when-one-perceives-it/) [Niklas Luhmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niklas-luhmann/) > [While we all wish that it didn't cost billions of dollars to win a presidential election, the reality is that it does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-tarlov/while-we-all-wish-that-it-didn-t-cost-billions-of-dollars-to-win-a/) [Jessica Tarlov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-tarlov/) > [Look at him now, poor fellow. That's what a dose of reality does for you...Never touch the stuff myself, you understand. Find it gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/look-at-him-now-poor-fellow-that-s-what-a-dose-of-reality-does-for/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [“Reality does not go away when it is ignored.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/reality-does-not-go-away-when-it-is-ignored/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Reality does not conform to the ideal, but confirms it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/reality-does-not-conform-to-the-ideal-but-confirms-it/) [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) > [“Reality does not change to match one’s belief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-hackman/reality-does-not-change-to-match-one-s-belief/) J.M. Hackman ## More by Stacy Schiff > [As always, an educated woman was a dangerous woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-schiff/as-always-an-educated-woman-was-a-dangerous-woman/) [Stacy Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-schiff/) > [Recently a study proved that working from a larger, less cluttered computer screen increases concentration. I could have told them that. And yes, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-schiff/recently-a-study-proved-that-working-from-a-larger-less-cluttered/) [Stacy Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-schiff/) > [“She did not believe Fate as painstaking as her husband; she was more inclined to take matters into her own hands. She had ample…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-schiff/she-did-not-believe-fate-as-painstaking-as-her-husband-she-was-more/) [Stacy Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-schiff/) > [What we know about Cleopatra's looks is based purely on her coin portraits. Engraving was imperfect, and that when you are a ruler and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-schiff/what-we-know-about-cleopatra-s-looks-is-based-purely-on-her-coin/) [Stacy Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-schiff/) > [No one in the modern world controls the wealth or territory that Cleopatra did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-schiff/no-one-in-the-modern-world-controls-the-wealth-or-territory-that/) [Stacy Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-schiff/) > [“Against a powerful enchantress there is no contest. Against a woman who ensnares a man in the coils of her serpentine intelligence - in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-schiff/against-a-powerful-enchantress-there-is-no-contest-against-a-woman/) [Stacy Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-schiff/) > [Motherhood is always an act of courage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-schiff/motherhood-is-always-an-act-of-courage/) [Stacy Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-schiff/) > [Cleopatra stood at one of the most dangerous intersections in history; that of women and power. 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Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-m-lerner/) > [Films are tricky because for years you're getting told you're about to make it and you're about to be busy for four or six…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mills/films-are-tricky-because-for-years-you-re-getting-told-you-re-about/) [Mike Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mills/) > [Take the L out of Lover 'cause we're Over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/take-the-l-out-of-lover-cause-we-re-over/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Must whales and dolphins be subjected to deafening noise that will cause more than 3.5 million instances of temporary and/or permanent hearing loss? For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierce-brosnan/must-whales-and-dolphins-be-subjected-to-deafening-noise-that-will/) [Pierce Brosnan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierce-brosnan/) > [Nothing can be produced without a cause, and the effect is but the cause reproduced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/nothing-can-be-produced-without-a-cause-and-the-effect-is-but-the/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [Knowing the cause of something is not going to help you to be free of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/knowing-the-cause-of-something-is-not-going-to-help-you-to-be-free-of/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [You miss me and tease me 'cause in the end you're gonna please me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-isaacs/you-miss-me-and-tease-me-cause-in-the-end-you-re-gonna-please-me/) [Gregory Isaacs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-isaacs/) > [If I lose the ball I cause the team a problem. I am here to provide solutions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergio-busquets/if-i-lose-the-ball-i-cause-the-team-a-problem-i-am-here-to-provide/) [Sergio Busquets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergio-busquets/) > [We are too much accustomed to attribute to a single cause that which is the product of several, and the majority of our controversies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/we-are-too-much-accustomed-to-attribute-to-a-single-cause-that-which/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [“Until you find a cause you can die for, you are not worthy to live.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ifeanyi-enoch-onuoha/until-you-find-a-cause-you-can-die-for-you-are-not-worthy-to-live/) [Ifeanyi Enoch Onuoha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ifeanyi-enoch-onuoha/) > [Pacifism as a mass movement aims to avoid suffering; pacifists often say that no cause is worth suffering or dying for. The ethos of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-michnik/pacifism-as-a-mass-movement-aims-to-avoid-suffering-pacifists-often/) [Adam Michnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-michnik/) > [“...There are so many paths you can follow. So much effect from one simple cause.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-allen/there-are-so-many-paths-you-can-follow-so-much-effect-from-one-simple/) Lee Allen > [War can be prevented only by broad-minded statesmanship - a statesmanship that understands how to enlist people's interests in a leading cause.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-key/war-can-be-prevented-only-by-broad-minded-statesmanship-a/) [Ellen Key](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-key/) > [I think the other misconceptions when the film came out, he was very upset that it was so widely released and so widely seen.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-zwigoff/i-think-the-other-misconceptions-when-the-film-came-out-he-was-very/) [Terry Zwigoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-zwigoff/) Browse all 1,323 Cause quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Reality does not easily give up meaning; it's the biographer's job to clobber it into submission. 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