--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I always start with the assumption that…" description: "\"I always start with the assumption that everything that happens in the world is actually in the world. It sounds like an obvious thing to say, but it's..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d3/trevor-paglen-4201_everything_i-always-start-with-the-assumption-that_2431587.png" --- # I always start with the assumption that everything that… ![“I always start with the assumption that everything that happens in the world is actually in the world. It sounds like an obvious thing to say, but it's a very powerful methodological premise.” quote by Trevor Paglen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d3/trevor-paglen-4201_everything_i-always-start-with-the-assumption-that_2431587.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d3/trevor-paglen-4201_everything_i-always-start-with-the-assumption-that_2431587.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d3/trevor-paglen-4201_everything_i-always-start-with-the-assumption-that_2431587.png) > “I always start with the assumption that everything that happens in the world is actually in the world. It sounds like an obvious thing to say, but it's a very powerful methodological premise.” [Trevor Paglen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-paglen/) ## 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 asserts that treating all events as real and factual provides a solid basis for analysis and avoids dismissing possibilities. **In simple terms:** Assume everything that happens is real. Key Takeaway Begin analysis with reality as given. Themes critical thinking methodology perception Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - research - journalism - art criticism - policy analysis Key Concepts epistemology ontological realism Questions to Reflect On - How does this premise affect your interpretation of data? - What could be missed by taking everything at face value? A Different Perspective Assuming reality may overlook hidden biases or misinterpretations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [The way we see the world is not actually the world in itself. What we see is our idea of it. The truth is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-restall-orr/the-way-we-see-the-world-is-not-actually-the-world-in-itself-what-we/) [Emma Restall Orr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-restall-orr/) > [Reality' is a movie generated by our brains. Because we don't realize this, we are far too confident that the stuff appearing in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-gilbert/reality-is-a-movie-generated-by-our-brains-because-we-don-t-realize/) [Daniel Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-gilbert/) > [“Staying away from news channels, print, and social media makes one realize, that the world actually is a beautiful place to live.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kunal-narayan-uniyal/staying-away-from-news-channels-print-and-social-media-makes-one/) Kunal Narayan Uniyal > [With songs one invents a world that wouldn't exist otherwise. And in that world you can be more than you actually are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-hunger/with-songs-one-invents-a-world-that-wouldn-t-exist-otherwise-and-in/) [Sophie Hunger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-hunger/) > [“There are few things in the world that are actually perfect.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-redhead/there-are-few-things-in-the-world-that-are-actually-perfect/) [Steven Redhead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-redhead/) > [“Never before in history had the world actually believed in the equality of man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-marshall/never-before-in-history-had-the-world-actually-believed-in-the/) [Peter Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-marshall/) > [“Turned out that the end of the world had to actually arrive before people would take it seriously.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/turned-out-that-the-end-of-the-world-had-to-actually-arrive-before/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“I have come, more and more, to believe that the way we are in the world actually has an impact on the world. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-s-kesselheim/i-have-come-more-and-more-to-believe-that-the-way-we-are-in-the-world/) [Alan S. Kesselheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-s-kesselheim/) > [... the important thing is to, first of all, question everything you read or hear or see or are told. Question it, and try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/the-important-thing-is-to-first-of-all-question-everything-you-read/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [People think one-point and two-point perspective is how the world actually looks, but of course, it isn't. It's a convention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-lichtenstein/people-think-one-point-and-two-point-perspective-is-how-the-world/) [Roy Lichtenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-lichtenstein/) > [Everyone has a belief system in his or her mind, a story about the way they think the world actually is, even if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-koukl/everyone-has-a-belief-system-in-his-or-her-mind-a-story-about-the-way/) [Greg Koukl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-koukl/) > [I think, The world is actually huge. That's the part no one can really explain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/i-think-the-world-is-actually-huge-that-s-the-part-no-one-can-really/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [“We Irish are the only people in the world who are actually nostalgic about the future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/we-irish-are-the-only-people-in-the-world-who-are-actually-nostalgic/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [A worldview is simply someone's relatively organized understanding of what the world is actually like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-koukl/a-worldview-is-simply-someone-s-relatively-organized-understanding-of/) [Greg Koukl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-koukl/) > [The only unique contribution you can offer the world is to be who you actually are and no one else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashly-lorenzana/the-only-unique-contribution-you-can-offer-the-world-is-to-be-who-you/) [Ashly Lorenzana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashly-lorenzana/) ## More by Trevor Paglen > [I believe that art can make relevant and progressive contributions to culture and society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-paglen/i-believe-that-art-can-make-relevant-and-progressive-contributions-to/) [Trevor Paglen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-paglen/) > [Photography has become so fundamental to the way we see that 'photography' and 'seeing' are becoming more and more synonymous. The ubiquity of photography…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-paglen/photography-has-become-so-fundamental-to-the-way-we-see-that/) [Trevor Paglen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-paglen/) > [I'm pretty cynical about the future, but I feel like that's not an ethical position for me to take. It's not okay for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-paglen/i-m-pretty-cynical-about-the-future-but-i-feel-like-that-s-not-an/) [Trevor Paglen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-paglen/) > [Civilian law around aviation is much looser than those governing military. Civilian planes can basically fly wherever they want in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-paglen/civilian-law-around-aviation-is-much-looser-than-those-governing/) [Trevor Paglen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-paglen/) > [I think the automation of vision is a much bigger deal than the invention of perspective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-paglen/i-think-the-automation-of-vision-is-a-much-bigger-deal-than-the/) [Trevor Paglen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-paglen/) > [Many of the things that shape the way the world looks are, quite frankly, invisible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-paglen/many-of-the-things-that-shape-the-way-the-world-looks-are-quite/) [Trevor Paglen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-paglen/) > [Geosynchronous spacecraft will be among civilization's most enduring remnants, quietly circling Earth until the Earth is no more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-paglen/geosynchronous-spacecraft-will-be-among-civilization-s-most-enduring/) [Trevor Paglen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-paglen/) > [Traditionally, images have functioned as representations of something in the world, but we are quickly approaching the point where vast majority of images are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-paglen/traditionally-images-have-functioned-as-representations-of-something/) [Trevor Paglen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-paglen/) > [Images can make realities out of people and struggles - the reality we give them. Images really matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-paglen/images-can-make-realities-out-of-people-and-struggles-the-reality-we/) [Trevor Paglen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-paglen/) > [It's productive and fun to try interpreting cave paintings, but ultimately, they can't teach us anything beyond what we imagine them to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-paglen/it-s-productive-and-fun-to-try-interpreting-cave-paintings-but/) [Trevor Paglen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-paglen/) > [Anything humans can do in space, robots can do better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-paglen/anything-humans-can-do-in-space-robots-can-do-better/) [Trevor Paglen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-paglen/) > [Before Christianity became the Roman Empire's official religion in the 4th Century, 'mystery religions,' organized around a central canon of secret knowledge, were widespread.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-paglen/before-christianity-became-the-roman-empire-s-official-religion-in/) [Trevor Paglen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-paglen/) > [When we look up into the starry night sky, we tend to see reflections of ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-paglen/when-we-look-up-into-the-starry-night-sky-we-tend-to-see-reflections/) [Trevor Paglen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-paglen/) > [“The CIA, an agency designed to operate outside the law, was now free to pursue its vision of a new world, to create new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-paglen/the-cia-an-agency-designed-to-operate-outside-the-law-was-now-free-to/) [Trevor Paglen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-paglen/) > [Once, I got lost in the middle of the desert and had to follow the North Star to find the dirt road where my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-paglen/once-i-got-lost-in-the-middle-of-the-desert-and-had-to-follow-the/) [Trevor Paglen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-paglen/) [Explore all 114 Trevor Paglen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-paglen/) ## More Everything quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [My parents were not musical, and they were not effervescent people; everything was very quiet. 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I feel everything has its way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidharth-malhotra/you-can-t-force-people-to-feel-in-a-certain-way-and-the-sooner-you/) [Sidharth Malhotra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidharth-malhotra/) > [Of everything I have done, 'The Archers' always gets the most excitement; there's a sort of uncontrollable joy from fans of the program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/of-everything-i-have-done-the-archers-always-gets-the-most-excitement/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [That's one of my idols, I really look up to Pacquiao. This guy is everything I would want to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-garcia/that-s-one-of-my-idols-i-really-look-up-to-pacquiao-this-guy-is/) [Ryan Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-garcia/) > [The talk shows in the States want celebrities, not authors. In France, it is different; writers are called upon to comment on everything. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/the-talk-shows-in-the-states-want-celebrities-not-authors-in-france/) [Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/) > [Everything I write is highly personal, but put in such a way that it's not dropping everything in someone's lap. Although sometimes I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-siberry/everything-i-write-is-highly-personal-but-put-in-such-a-way-that-it-s/) [Jane Siberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-siberry/) > [Everything I have experienced and learned in football led me towards one day becoming a coach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-carlos/everything-i-have-experienced-and-learned-in-football-led-me-towards/) [Roberto Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-carlos/) > [It's funny, everything is so much easier when you do it yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carine-roitfeld/it-s-funny-everything-is-so-much-easier-when-you-do-it-yourself/) [Carine Roitfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carine-roitfeld/) > [Everything affects hip-hop. 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