--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The basic truth of all things, as nearly…" description: "\"The basic truth of all things, as nearly as we may ever dream of determining and knowing this truth, is form, that which is, as it is. The way and shap..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c82/william-saroyan-1743_dream_the-basic-truth-of-all-things-as-nearly_32352.jpg" --- # The basic truth of all things, as nearly as we may ever… ![“The basic truth of all things, as nearly as we may ever dream of determining and knowing this truth, is form, that which is, as it is. The way and shape of the thing no less than the thing itself…” quote by William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c82/william-saroyan-1743_dream_the-basic-truth-of-all-things-as-nearly_32352.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c82/william-saroyan-1743_dream_the-basic-truth-of-all-things-as-nearly_32352.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c82/william-saroyan-1743_dream_the-basic-truth-of-all-things-as-nearly_32352.jpg) > “The basic truth of all things, as nearly as we may ever dream of determining and knowing this truth, is form, that which is, as it is. The way and shape of the thing no less than the thing itself…” [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. It asserts that reality is defined by its structure; understanding an object's form is essential to grasping its essence. **In simple terms:** Form defines reality. Key Takeaway Form is as crucial as content. Themes ontology metaphysics perception identity structure Mood reflective inquisitive Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - philosophical debate - scientific modeling - artistic creation - design analysis Key Concepts form essence knowledge reality Practical Applications - philosophical essays - educational curricula Questions to Reflect On - How does form shape our understanding of objects? - Can we ever fully know an object's true form? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Shapes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shapes/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [“all true art is in fact nothing but an attempt to transmit the sensation of ecstasy...evil always consists in the transforming of something great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-true-art-is-in-fact-nothing-but-an-attempt-to-transmit-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Truth has no form.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/truth-has-no-form/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [The truth has no form, you know. It's not like walking around trying to actually ask for favors and to be acknowledged, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-d/the-truth-has-no-form-you-know-it-s-not-like-walking-around-trying-to/) [Chuck D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-d/) > [In some ways, I think it's the closest that we come to the truth — is in the form of fiction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laila-lalami/in-some-ways-i-think-it-s-the-closest-that-we-come-to-the-truth-is-in/) [Laila Lalami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laila-lalami/) > [“The means through which people may perceive Truth have forms; Truth has no form.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/the-means-through-which-people-may-perceive-truth-have-forms-truth/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [Most people can accept the truth only in the form of a lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-d-ouspensky/most-people-can-accept-the-truth-only-in-the-form-of-a-lie/) [P.D. Ouspensky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-d-ouspensky/) > [The truth will form and fall apart again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-slean/the-truth-will-form-and-fall-apart-again/) [Sarah Slean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-slean/) > [“Because this, after all, was the basic truth they all chose to live by: that love was no finite commodity. That it was not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brady-udall/because-this-after-all-was-the-basic-truth-they-all-chose-to-live-by/) [Brady Udall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brady-udall/) > [It's a basic truth of the human condition that everybody lies. The only variable is about what.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-laurie/it-s-a-basic-truth-of-the-human-condition-that-everybody-lies-the/) [Hugh Laurie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-laurie/) > [One Basic Truth can be used as a foundation for a mountain of lies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-basic-truth-can-be-used-as-a-foundation-for-a-mountain-of-lies/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“In the end, it doesn’t matter how our paths intersect, because when it comes down to the basic truth of our lives... ...we’re all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-white/in-the-end-it-doesn-t-matter-how-our-paths-intersect-because-when-it/) [Lily White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-white/) > [It seems not to have been written. It is the quintessence of life. It is the basic truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooks-atkinson/it-seems-not-to-have-been-written-it-is-the-quintessence-of-life-it/) [Brooks Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooks-atkinson/) > [There is a basic truth which man can know and which can transform his life if he will become the embodiment of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-davis/there-is-a-basic-truth-which-man-can-know-and-which-can-transform-his/) [Roy Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-davis/) > [“I think we regular people may have forgotten a basic truth—we don’t really have the right to judge anyone else.    After”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanae-minato/i-think-we-regular-people-may-have-forgotten-a-basic-truth-we-don-t/) Kanae Minato > [“It's the basic truth of the human condition: everybody lies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/house/it-s-the-basic-truth-of-the-human-condition-everybody-lies/) [house](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/house/) ## More by William Saroyan > [Although I write in English, and despite the fact that I'm from America, I consider myself an Armenian writer. The words I use are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/although-i-write-in-english-and-despite-the-fact-that-i-m-from/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [“This is a hell of a night. I don't want to leave it just to go to sleep.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/this-is-a-hell-of-a-night-i-don-t-want-to-leave-it-just-to-go-to-sleep/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [Americans still believe they are cut out to be successful-in everything: love, love-making, luck, luck-giving, money-making, sense-making, cancer-avoiding, clothes-wearing, car-driving, and so on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/americans-still-believe-they-are-cut-out-to-be-successful-in/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [I can't decide for you whether or not you have got to write, but if anything in the world, war, or pestilence, or famine,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/i-can-t-decide-for-you-whether-or-not-you-have-got-to-write-but-if/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [He paints for the blind, and we are the blind, and he lets us see for sure what we saw long ago but weren't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/he-paints-for-the-blind-and-we-are-the-blind-and-he-lets-us-see-for/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [I am interested in madness. I believe it is the biggest thing in the human race, and the most constant. How do you take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/i-am-interested-in-madness-i-believe-it-is-the-biggest-thing-in-the/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [Two years ago your father died, Ulysses. But as long as we are alive, as long as we are together, as long as two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/two-years-ago-your-father-died-ulysses-but-as-long-as-we-are-alive-as/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [Cowards are nice, they're interesting, they're gentle, they wouldn't think of shooting down people in a parade from a tower. They want to live,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/cowards-are-nice-they-re-interesting-they-re-gentle-they-wouldn-t/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [In the time of your life, live - so that in that good time there shall be no ugliness or death for yourself or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/in-the-time-of-your-life-live-so-that-in-that-good-time-there-shall/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [San Francisco is a world to explore. It is a place where the heart can go on a delightful adventure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/san-francisco-is-a-world-to-explore-it-is-a-place-where-the-heart-can/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [Even after you've won fame and fortune, every time you write you've got to write, there's no shortcut, you have to start your career…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/even-after-you-ve-won-fame-and-fortune-every-time-you-write-you-ve/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose history is ended, whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/i-should-like-to-see-any-power-of-the-world-destroy-this-race-this/) [WILLIAM SAROYAN](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [There could be no extreme vanity in my recognition of myself, if in fact there could be any at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/there-could-be-no-extreme-vanity-in-my-recognition-of-myself-if-in/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [“This sense of being out of time has driven thousands of people from their homes into moving-picture theaters where new universes appear before them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/this-sense-of-being-out-of-time-has-driven-thousands-of-people-from/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [“Their singing wasn’t particularly good, but the feeling with which they sang was not bad at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/their-singing-wasn-t-particularly-good-but-the-feeling-with-which/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) [Explore all 207 William Saroyan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) ## More Dream quotes > [“Once we become sensitive to dreams, we discover that every dynamic in a dream is manifesting itself in some way in our practical lives”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-johnson/once-we-become-sensitive-to-dreams-we-discover-that-every-dynamic-in/) [Robert A. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-johnson/) > [A thing of beauty is a joy for ever;It's loveliness increase;it will never pass into nothingness;but still will keep a bower quiet for us,and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/a-thing-of-beauty-is-a-joy-for-ever-it-s-loveliness-increase-it-will/) [John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [“Not that it matters, when you dream, there's no outside or in. Your mind is an unimaginable bloom. A willow catkin as big as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-shapero/not-that-it-matters-when-you-dream-there-s-no-outside-or-in-your-mind/) [Rich Shapero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-shapero/) > [Academically, I was never that interested. I skipped classes. My biggest dream was to have a coffee shop, but I had no idea how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-espinosa/academically-i-was-never-that-interested-i-skipped-classes-my-biggest/) [Daniel Espinosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-espinosa/) > [“As dreams are the healing songs from the wilderness of our unconscious - So wild animals, wild plants, wild landscapes are the healing dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-pendell/as-dreams-are-the-healing-songs-from-the-wilderness-of-our/) [Dale Pendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-pendell/) > [Alone in a world, With millions of souls Walking in circles Trapped in their dreams unhealthy, unclean walking in circles, now do not disturb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-bennington/alone-in-a-world-with-millions-of-souls-walking-in-circles-trapped-in/) [Chester Bennington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-bennington/) > [“Doing the work to transform your dreams into reality is like walking across the earth. It can be that hard, and it can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu/doing-the-work-to-transform-your-dreams-into-reality-is-like-walking/) [Dragos Bratasanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu/) > [As far as Im concerned, I didnt dream - ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-sturgeon/as-far-as-im-concerned-i-didnt-dream-ever/) [Theodore Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-sturgeon/) > [I have long felt that the way to keep children out of trouble is to keep them interested in things. Lecturing to children is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/i-have-long-felt-that-the-way-to-keep-children-out-of-trouble-is-to/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [I guess, it's a father's dream for his daughter to be known around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-soberano/i-guess-it-s-a-father-s-dream-for-his-daughter-to-be-known-around-the/) [Liza Soberano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-soberano/) > [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [Sometimes life seems like a dream, especially when I look down and see that I forgot to put on my pants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-life-seems-like-a-dream-especially-when-i-look-down-and-see/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [“I had a dream. I had an awesome dream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-had-a-dream-i-had-an-awesome-dream/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“His dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/his-dream-must-have-seemed-so-close-that-he-could-hardly-fail-to/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) [Browse all 26,527 Dream quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The basic truth of all things, as nearly as we may ever dream of determining and knowing this truth, is form, that which is, as it is. 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