Original artwork, not a still
Understanding is a three-edged sword: your side, their side, and the truth.
— Babylon 5 • 1994
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The saying is Kosh in miniature: a warning that two opposing accounts are not the whole picture, because the truth is a third thing standing apart from both. It fits a show about wars started by misunderstanding, and it is the line fans reach for when two people in an argument each insist they are right.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Babylon 5Show the scene
Kosh, the Vorlon ambassador, is the most cryptic resident of Babylon 5, answering questions with riddles and little else. In "Interludes and Examinations" (season three, May 1996, written by J. Michael Straczynski), Captain Sheridan has had enough after three years of Kosh pulling strings and standing there looking cryptic. He quotes Kosh's own saying back at him, offers one of his own about putting your money where your mouth is, and demands that Kosh teach him to fight legends. Kosh calls him impudent, throws him against the wall with an energy blast and orders him out; Sheridan stays.
Sources (2)
- Wikiquote: Babylon 5'Interludes and Examinations' section, Sheridan and Kosh exchangeReference checked
- Babylon 5 Wiki: Interludes and ExaminationsEpisode infoboxReference checked
Context reviewed
