--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The forward step must be made in silence…" description: "\"The forward step must be made in silence. We detach ourselves from word forms - this can be accomplished by substituting for words, letters, concepts, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/150/william-s-burroughs-528_accomplished_the-forward-step-must-be-made-in-silence_2248376.jpg" --- # The forward step must be made in silence. We detach… ![“The forward step must be made in silence. We detach ourselves from word forms - this can be accomplished by substituting for words, letters, concepts, verbal concepts, other modes of expressions: for example, color.” quote by William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/150/william-s-burroughs-528_accomplished_the-forward-step-must-be-made-in-silence_2248376.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/150/william-s-burroughs-528_accomplished_the-forward-step-must-be-made-in-silence_2248376.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/150/william-s-burroughs-528_accomplished_the-forward-step-must-be-made-in-silence_2248376.jpg) > “The forward step must be made in silence. We detach ourselves from word forms - this can be accomplished by substituting for words, letters, concepts, verbal concepts, other modes of expressions: for example, color.” [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Silence can be achieved by replacing words with other sensory or symbolic forms, like color, to bypass verbal constraints. **In simple terms:** Use non‑verbal symbols to communicate beyond language. Key Takeaway Experiment with visual or sensory metaphors for expression. Themes communication creativity language expression Mood experimental thought‑provoking Type philosophical creative When to use this quote - writing - visual art - performance - therapy Key Concepts semiotics symbolism sensory substitution artistic technique Questions to Reflect On - What non‑verbal medium could replace a specific word for you? - How does color convey meaning differently than text? A Different Perspective Non‑verbal symbols may be misinterpreted without shared context. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accomplished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accomplished/) [Color](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/color/) [Concepts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concepts/) [Detach Word](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/detach-word-3741514/) [Example](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/example/) [Expression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expression/) [Form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form/) [Forward Step](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forward-step-238581/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Letters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/letters/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Silence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silence/) [Silence Detach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silence-detach-5125250/) [Step Silence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/step-silence-3837790/) [Steps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/steps/) ## Related quotes > [When we detach the Word of God from the heart of God, we miss the point of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/when-we-detach-the-word-of-god-from-the-heart-of-god-we-miss-the/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [From politics it was an easy step to silence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/from-politics-it-was-an-easy-step-to-silence/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [Live brightly, leave fear and move forward one step at a time with faith and confidence in the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senora-roy/live-brightly-leave-fear-and-move-forward-one-step-at-a-time-with/) [Senora Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senora-roy/) > [If you take three steps forward and one step back, once in a while I can live with that. If you take two steps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-izzo/if-you-take-three-steps-forward-and-one-step-back-once-in-a-while-i/) [Tom Izzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-izzo/) > [You should always focus on training and consider it a step forward. And each step is taking you higher and higher until you reach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kylian-mbappe/you-should-always-focus-on-training-and-consider-it-a-step-forward/) [Kylian Mbappe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kylian-mbappe/) > [The solution may be for a lot of the world's problems is to turn around and take a forward step. You can't just keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvon-chouinard/the-solution-may-be-for-a-lot-of-the-world-s-problems-is-to-turn/) [Yvon Chouinard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvon-chouinard/) > [I think about the notion of progress; sometimes it does feel like two steps forward, one step back. And that just means you can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meena-harris/i-think-about-the-notion-of-progress-sometimes-it-does-feel-like-two/) [Meena Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meena-harris/) > [Each forward step we take we leave some phantom of ourselves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lancaster-spalding/each-forward-step-we-take-we-leave-some-phantom-of-ourselves-behind/) [John Lancaster Spalding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lancaster-spalding/) > [Develop attitude of gratitude and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/develop-attitude-of-gratitude-and-give-thanks-for-everything-that/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [Best foot forward with every step.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupe-fiasco/best-foot-forward-with-every-step/) [Lupe Fiasco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupe-fiasco/) > [“To move forward, one must take the first step”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chase-s-m-neill/to-move-forward-one-must-take-the-first-step/) [Chase S.M. Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chase-s-m-neill/) > [“When you’re lost there’s nowhere to go but forward. One step at a time – and the way will show itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-j-charlton/when-you-re-lost-there-s-nowhere-to-go-but-forward-one-step-at-a-time/) [Sam J. Charlton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-j-charlton/) > [Life is too short to keep taking trips to the past, so I closed the door on mine now all I can do is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/life-is-too-short-to-keep-taking-trips-to-the-past-so-i-closed-the/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [“To move forward, you must first take a step”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chase-s-m-neill/to-move-forward-you-must-first-take-a-step/) [Chase S.M. Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chase-s-m-neill/) > [I had some different positions. At first, I was a forward, and then, step by step, I kept moving back, and now I'm here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-andre-ter-stegen/i-had-some-different-positions-at-first-i-was-a-forward-and-then-step/) [Marc-Andre ter Stegen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-andre-ter-stegen/) ## More by William S. Burroughs > [“Control never be a means to any practical end. It can never be a means to anything but more control… Like punk.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/control-never-be-a-means-to-any-practical-end-it-can-never-be-a-means/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [“Well as, one judge said to the other, 'Be just and if you can't be just be arbitrary.' Regret cannot observe customary obscenities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/well-as-one-judge-said-to-the-other-be-just-and-if-you-can-t-be-just/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [After one look at this planet any visitor from outer space would say 'I want to see the manager.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/after-one-look-at-this-planet-any-visitor-from-outer-space-would-say/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [For seven days she lay in bed looking sullenly at the ceiling as though resenting the death she had cultivated for so many years.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/for-seven-days-she-lay-in-bed-looking-sullenly-at-the-ceiling-as/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [When you stop growing you start dying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/when-you-stop-growing-you-start-dying/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [Life is a cutup. 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Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [“It is not the intensity but the duration of pain that breaks the will to resist.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/it-is-not-the-intensity-but-the-duration-of-pain-that-breaks-the-will/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) [Explore all 484 William S. Burroughs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) ## More Accomplished quotes > [I never believed in trying to do anything. 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This is the path way to Heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/when-you-have-accomplished-your-goal-simply-walk-away-this-is-the/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [... even the most sublimely accomplished non-stop talker can't consistently please.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger-2/even-the-most-sublimely-accomplished-non-stop-talker-can-t/) [J. D. 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