The map is not the territory.
More Quotes from Alfred Korzybski:
There are two ways to slice easily thorugh life; to believe everything or to doubt everything. Both ways save us from thinking.Alfred Korzybski
If words are not things, or maps are not the actual territory, then, obviously, the only possible link between the objective world and the linguistic world is found in structure, and structure alone.
Alfred Korzybski
If a psychiatric and scientific inquiry were to be made upon our rulers, mankind would be appalled at the disclosures.
Alfred Korzybski
Thus, we see that one of the obvious origins of human disagreement lies in the use of noises for words.
Alfred Korzybski
the analogy between the noises we make when these noises do not symbolize anything which exists, and the worthless checks we write when our bank balance is zero.
Alfred Korzybski
Two important characteristics of maps should be noticed. A map is not the territory it represents, but, if correct, it has a similar structure to the territory, which accounts for its usefulness.
Alfred Korzybski
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