“Même en exploitant toutes les possibilités du langage, on ne peut pas exprimer toute la complexité d'une pensée.”
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Attribution note
No dated primary or reputable secondary confirms this as Gandhi; it circulates as a French inspirational line, so attribution is unsupported.
Likely origin: French aphorism about the limits of language expressing thought; attributed to Gandhi online with no traceable primary source.
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Words are a lossy translation of what happens inside us. Even with a full vocabulary and perfect grammar, part of a thought or feeling stays behind — which is why real understanding often needs more than talk: shared time, images, silence, patience.
When to use it
- A grieving friend can't find the words and just sits in the quiet with you.
- A designer sketches rather than describes, because the drawing holds what sentences can't.
- A couple learns some understanding comes from years together, not from perfect explanations.