--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You were not there for the beginning. You…" description: "\"“You were not there for the beginning. You will not be there for the end. Your knowledge of what is going on can only be superficial and relative”\" — W..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/566/william-s-burroughs-528_superficial_you-were-not-there-for-the-beginning-you_667858.png" --- # You were not there for the beginning. You will not be… ![“You were not there for the beginning. You will not be there for the end. Your knowledge of what is going on can only be superficial and relative” quote by William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/566/william-s-burroughs-528_superficial_you-were-not-there-for-the-beginning-you_667858.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/566/william-s-burroughs-528_superficial_you-were-not-there-for-the-beginning-you_667858.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/566/william-s-burroughs-528_superficial_you-were-not-there-for-the-beginning-you_667858.png) > ““You were not there for the beginning. You will not be there for the end. Your knowledge of what is going on can only be superficial and relative”” [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. Knowledge is limited to the present moment and is always relative, never absolute. **In simple terms:** We only know the present, and it’s relative. Key Takeaway Accept uncertainty and stay curious. Themes knowledge relativity humility Mood philosophical introspective Type thought‑provoking cautionary When to use this quote - daily news - personal decisions - learning processes Key Concepts epistemology subjectivity Questions to Reflect On - How do you act when knowledge feels shallow? - Can you trust intuition? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on relativism can lead to indecision. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [Your knowledge of what is going on can only be superficial and relative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/your-knowledge-of-what-is-going-on-can-only-be-superficial-and/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [The end of being is to know; and if you say, the end of knowledge is action,-why, yes, but the end of that action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-end-of-being-is-to-know-and-if-you-say-the-end-of-knowledge-is/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [The end of all knowledge should be in virtuous action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-sidney/the-end-of-all-knowledge-should-be-in-virtuous-action/) [Philip Sidney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-sidney/) > [Ignorance has no beginning, but it has an end. There is a beginning but no end to knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-k-s-iyengar/ignorance-has-no-beginning-but-it-has-an-end-there-is-a-beginning-but/) [B.K.S. Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-k-s-iyengar/) > [The ultimate end...is not knowledge, but action. To be half right on time may be more important than to obtain the whole truth too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-ultimate-end-is-not-knowledge-but-action-to-be-half-right-on-time/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [The end of all knowledge should be service to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/the-end-of-all-knowledge-should-be-service-to-others/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [More is got from one book on which the thought settles for a definite end in knowledge, than from libraries skimmed over by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-bulwer-lytton-1st-baron-lytton/more-is-got-from-one-book-on-which-the-thought-settles-for-a-definite/) [Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-bulwer-lytton-1st-baron-lytton/) > [The end of knowledge is power ... the scope of all speculation is the performing of some action or thing to be done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hobbes/the-end-of-knowledge-is-power-the-scope-of-all-speculation-is-the/) [Thomas Hobbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hobbes/) > [But the greatest error of all the rest is the mistaking or misplacing of the last or farthest end of knowledge: for men have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/but-the-greatest-error-of-all-the-rest-is-the-mistaking-or-misplacing/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [The end of all knowledge must be the building up of character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/the-end-of-all-knowledge-must-be-the-building-up-of-character/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [The end of knowledge is wisdom The end of culture is perfection The end of wisdom is freedom The end of education is character.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sai-baba/the-end-of-knowledge-is-wisdom-the-end-of-culture-is-perfection-the/) [Sai Baba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sai-baba/) > [The height of all philosophy is to know thyself; and the end of this knowledge is to know God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/the-height-of-all-philosophy-is-to-know-thyself-and-the-end-of-this/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [“I see the beginning. And I see the end.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sierra-simone/i-see-the-beginning-and-i-see-the-end/) [Sierra Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sierra-simone/) > [“Knowledge is the beginning ( fâtihah) of action, and action is the end (tamâm, here = energeia, rather than entelecheia) of knowledge; a beginning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-amiri/knowledge-is-the-beginning-f-tihah-of-action-and-action-is-the-end/) Al-Amiri > [Do not judge me by my beginning, Only by my end, Nor by the path I took, But where it led me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacklyn-h-lucas/do-not-judge-me-by-my-beginning-only-by-my-end-nor-by-the-path-i-took/) Jacklyn H Lucas ## 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. And to pretend that you write or paint in a timeless vacuum is just simply . . . not .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/life-is-a-cutup-and-to-pretend-that-you-write-or-paint-in-a-timeless/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [When all lies, deceit, pretense is stripped away, what remains? The truth of a painting, or a book or a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/when-all-lies-deceit-pretense-is-stripped-away-what-remains-the-truth/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [“There is no final enough of wisdom, experience - any fucking thing. No Holy Grail, No Final Satori, no solution. Just conflict. Only thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/there-is-no-final-enough-of-wisdom-experience-any-fucking-thing-no/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [“For John Dillinger In hope he is still alive Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 1986 In hope he is still alive Thanks for the wild…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/for-john-dillinger-in-hope-he-is-still-alive-thanksgiving-day/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [“Did I ever tell you about the man who taught his asshole to talk? His whole abdomen would move up and down, you dig,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/did-i-ever-tell-you-about-the-man-who-taught-his-asshole-to-talk-his/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [You need a good bedside manner with doctors or you will get nowhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/you-need-a-good-bedside-manner-with-doctors-or-you-will-get-nowhere/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [There couldn't be a society of people who didn't dream. They'd be dead in two weeks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/there-couldn-t-be-a-society-of-people-who-didn-t-dream-they-d-be-dead/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [I prefer cats to people, for the most part. Most people aren't cute at all, and if they are cute they very rapidly outgrow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/i-prefer-cats-to-people-for-the-most-part-most-people-aren-t-cute-at/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [ \[Arab peoples\] are stuck back thousands of years and they think they're going to get out with a TV set. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/arab-peoples-are-stuck-back-thousands-of-years-and-they-think-they-re/) [William S. 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 Superficial quotes > [People in this world of superficial communication find themselves isolated and lonely and have difficult in talking about personal things that really matter to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-zeldin/people-in-this-world-of-superficial-communication-find-themselves/) [Theodore Zeldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-zeldin/) > [Why chase after thoughts, which are superficial ripples of present awareness? Rather look directly into the naked, empty nature of thoughts; then there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamgon-kongtrul/why-chase-after-thoughts-which-are-superficial-ripples-of-present/) Jamgon Kongtrul > [“When we generalize and judge people quickly without taking ample time, we've chosen a shortcut. It's superficial of us, and a lack of wisdom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/assegid-habtewold/when-we-generalize-and-judge-people-quickly-without-taking-ample-time/) [Assegid Habtewold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/assegid-habtewold/) > [The study of Freemasonry is the study of man as a candidate for a blessed eternity. It furnishes examples of holy living, and displays…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-howard-taft/the-study-of-freemasonry-is-the-study-of-man-as-a-candidate-for-a/) [William Howard Taft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-howard-taft/) > [All great expression, which on a superficial survey seems so easy as well as so simple, furnishes after a while, to the faithful observer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-fuller/all-great-expression-which-on-a-superficial-survey-seems-so-easy-as/) [Margaret Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-fuller/) > [I don't like a whole lot of flash and superficial stuff; I want a woman that's all-natural, in her purest form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamman-rucker/i-don-t-like-a-whole-lot-of-flash-and-superficial-stuff-i-want-a/) [Lamman Rucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamman-rucker/) > [People frequently ask me why I devote so much time to seeking out facts about man’s past…the past shows clearly that we all have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-leakey/people-frequently-ask-me-why-i-devote-so-much-time-to-seeking-out/) [Louis Leakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-leakey/) > [The kinds of shows that seem to work now, the comedy shows, are those which require very little attention. They're superficial and I like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-tyler-moore/the-kinds-of-shows-that-seem-to-work-now-the-comedy-shows-are-those/) [Mary Tyler Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-tyler-moore/) > [I have no memory for things I have learned, nor things I have read, nor things experienced or heard, neither for people nor events;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/i-have-no-memory-for-things-i-have-learned-nor-things-i-have-read-nor/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [To be interested solely in technique would be a very superficial thing to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-wyeth/to-be-interested-solely-in-technique-would-be-a-very-superficial/) [Andrew Wyeth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-wyeth/) > [Insofar as one can talk of a Vionnet school, it comes mostly from my having been an enemy of fashion. There is something superficial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-vionnet/insofar-as-one-can-talk-of-a-vionnet-school-it-comes-mostly-from-my/) [Madeleine Vionnet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-vionnet/) > [It's hard for me to be involved in superficial friendships with other women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yolanda-hadid/it-s-hard-for-me-to-be-involved-in-superficial-friendships-with-other/) [Yolanda Hadid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yolanda-hadid/) > [People see fashion as superficial and shallow, but it's actually not. As an industry, it can really change how things happen and change trade…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-hewson/people-see-fashion-as-superficial-and-shallow-but-it-s-actually-not/) [Ali Hewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-hewson/) > [Painful life is brutal and painless life is superficial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kedar-joshi/painful-life-is-brutal-and-painless-life-is-superficial/) [Kedar Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kedar-joshi/) > [The truth seems . . . to be that in the ultimate and essential problem the economic factor is relatively superficial and unimportant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-knight/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-in-the-ultimate-and-essential-problem-the/) [Frank Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-knight/) Browse all 698 Superficial quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“You were not there for the beginning. You will not be there for the end. 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