# Words Describe the Tree but Cannot Replace It by Bryant McGill > “A dictionary is a closed system in which each word is defined by other words. Philosophers associated with deconstruction and semiotics explored how language creates meaning through networks of differences and binary oppositions. Words can describe a tree, and only standing beneath one brings real knowing.” > **— Bryant McGill**, *Writing Your Own Life With Passion, Action, and the Freedom to Change - Livestream (Oct 2015)* ## Sources and Context - **Source:** [[livestreams/Writing Your Own Life With Passion, Action, and the Freedom to Change - Livestream|Writing Your Own Life With Passion, Action, and the Freedom to Change - Livestream]] — exact quotation from the developed livestream document. ## Related Articles and Collections - **Collection:** [[collections/Simple Reminders|Simple Reminders]] - **Article:** [[articles/Analog Cognition and the Architecture of Continuity|Analog Cognition and the Architecture of Continuity]] - **Article:** [[articles/Humans and AIs as Entangled Learning Systems|Humans and AIs as Entangled Learning Systems]] - **Livestream:** [[livestreams/Writing Your Own Life With Passion, Action, and the Freedom to Change - Livestream|Writing Your Own Life With Passion, Action, and the Freedom to Change - Livestream]] ## Related Topics - [[wiki/Semiotics|Semiotics]] ## Share on Social Media ``` “A dictionary is a closed system in which each word is defined by other words. Philosophers associated with deconstruction and semiotics explored how language creates meaning through networks of differences and binary oppositions. Words can describe a tree, and only standing beneath one brings real knowing.” — Bryant McGill, Writing Your Own Life With Passion, Action, and the Freedom to Change - Livestream (Oct 2015) https://bryantmcgill.com/simple-reminders-bryant-mcgill-words-cannot-replace-experience ```