About this quote

Perception shapes what we call truth. Different backgrounds, goals, and habits make people read the same event in different ways. Pause and ask which assumptions are filling in the gaps before you act. Name those assumptions and test them so your decisions stop being based on an unexamined perspective.

When to use it

• At a project post-mortem after a delayed release, you might say, 'There are no facts, only interpretations,' and ask the team to list the assumptions behind their timeline estimates.
• In a history seminar where two primary sources conflict, a student could recall the line and ask, 'Which interpretation am I using and why?' before writing their paper.
• During a family argument about who left the stove on, you might bring up the quote to calm things and say, 'Tell me what you remember so we can separate perspective from memory.'
• After a controversial referee call in a match, a coach could say, 'There are no facts, only interpretations,' then review angles and the biases that shaped each view of the play.