You ever read a phrase that sounds like freedom and nausea at the same time? "Everything is permitted, nothing is true" hit me that way the first time I saw it scrawled on the edge of a forum post about game lore. Or a shrug. It sounds like a dare. Or both.
The short version is, this line gets quoted by people who've never picked up the book it came from, worn on tattoos by folks who'd struggle to explain it, and used as a pseudo-deep caption under gym selfies. But there's actually a lot riding under those six words. And most of what you'll find online about everything is permitted nothing is true misses the point entirely Worth knowing..
What Is Everything Is Permitted Nothing Is True
Look, it's not a slogan for chaos gremlins. The phrase comes from the Assassin's Creed game series, which borrowed it (loosely) from the real-world Nizari Ismailis — a branch of Shia Islam often called the Assassins in Crusader-era history. In the games, it's the Creed of the Assassins: a moral and operational frame, not a license to do whatever.
Here's the thing — the order matters. But the pairing is what counts. "Nothing is true" comes first in the original framing sometimes, sometimes second. It's a two-part check on the human mind The details matter here..
The Real-World Root
In history, the Nizari leader Hassan-i Sabbah supposedly used a version of this idea. The nothing is true part was about dogma — that no institution's claim to absolute truth is beyond question. The everything is permitted part wasn't "go wild," it was about personal responsibility. If no external rule is sacred, then you are the one choosing. And choosing is heavy And that's really what it comes down to. Turns out it matters..
The Game Version
In Assassin's Creed, the Creed is taught as: "Nothing is true; everything is permitted." It's presented as a tool for critical thinking. Also, the games are blunt about it — it means you shouldn't believe what you're told just because someone says so, and you can't hide behind "I was following orders. " That's it. Not a murder pass.
Real talk — this step gets skipped all the time.
Why People Misread It
Honestly, this is the part most guides get wrong. But if you actually sit with it, the second half only works if the first half has already humbled you. They treat it like anarchist poetry. Now, you just did it. If nothing is true, you can't claim your violence is "right" because of some higher law. So everything being permitted isn't freedom — it's exposure.
Why It Matters / Why People Care
Why does this matter? Because most people skip it and end up either scared of the phrase or drunk on it Simple, but easy to overlook..
In practice, the line shows up in three places: gaming communities, atheist / skeptic circles, and edgy teen notebooks. Each group grabs one half and drops the other. The gamers think it's cool lore. Plus, the skeptics love "nothing is true" and forget the permission part is about ownership, not license. The teens just want to feel dangerous.
What goes wrong when people don't get it? Here's the thing — i've seen influencers say "everything is permitted" right before selling a crypto scam — as if the Creed means facts don't apply to them. They use it to justify nonsense. Turns out, that's the opposite of the original idea. The original says: since facts are contested, your actions are more on you, not less Surprisingly effective..
And here's what most people miss — the phrase is a guardrail against certainty. Because of that, you're permitted to act. This old line is a reminder that the feed isn't God. And we live in a time where everyone's feed tells them the Truth with a capital T. But it also says: don't pretend you're neutral either. So act like it means something Most people skip this — try not to. No workaround needed..
How It Works (or How to Do It)
If you want to actually use this as a thinking tool — not a tattoo excuse — here's how it breaks down.
Step One: Question the Truth Claims
"Nothing is true" doesn't mean there's no reality. Think about it: start by asking: who benefits from me believing this? It means no human system has a complete lock on it. Think about it: the Assassins said the Crusaders were invaders. The Crusaders said the Assassins were demons. That's the historical Hassan move. Both had spin.
In your life, this looks like reading the news and asking what's missing. In real terms, or noticing when a brand says "science says" and wondering which science, paid by whom. It's a habit, not a light switch.
Step Two: Own the Permission
Now the harder half. If nothing outside you is the final truth, then everything is permitted — meaning you are free to choose, and you can't outsource the blame. You don't get to say "my pastor said" or "the algorithm told me" when you hurt someone.
I know it sounds simple — but it's easy to miss. But the Creed says: even those are human-made. Traditions. Job titles. Laws. But we're trained to follow structures. Those aren't bad. So when you obey, know you're choosing to Not complicated — just consistent. Practical, not theoretical..
Step Three: Pair Them or It Falls Apart
Separate the halves and you get trouble. "Nothing is true" without the permission half makes you a cynic who never acts. "Everything is permitted" without the truth half makes you a narcissist with a quote.
The pairing is the engine. Now, doubt the world, then carry the weight of your own hands. That's the whole machine Most people skip this — try not to..
Step Four: Apply It Locally
You don't need to overthrow anything. Then you do. That said, " You think — nothing is true about that "have to. " And everything is permitted — so I can say no. Quietly. Real talk, most of us use it like this: a friend says "you have to do X because everyone does.That's the Creed working in a group chat, not a battlefield It's one of those things that adds up..
Common Mistakes / What Most People Get Wrong
Let's be straight about the garbage readings.
First mistake: thinking it's nihilism. Practically speaking, nihilism says nothing means anything. This line says meaning is your job. Big difference. Still, nihilism is a couch. This is a treadmill.
Second mistake: using it to dodge facts. "Nothing is true" is not "my conspiracy is equal to your data.In practice, " It's a call to check the source, not burn the library. If you can't tell gravity from a tweet, the Creed isn't your friend.
Third mistake: the tattoo trap. Because of that, i've seen "everything is permitted" inked with no context. Even so, bro, that's not rebellion, that's a sentence you gave yourself without the parole board. The phrase without the pairing is just a dare you'll lose.
Fourth — and this one bugs me — people act like it's unique to one game. Still, it's not. So naturally, it's a compressed version of skeptical philosophy that goes back centuries. The games popularized it; they didn't invent it. Worth knowing if you're gonna quote it.
Practical Tips / What Actually Works
If you want to actually live by this instead of posting it, here's what works Most people skip this — try not to..
- Use it as a pause button. Before you share something outrageous, run the "nothing is true" check. Who says? Then the "everything is permitted" check — am I okay owning this if it's wrong?
- Don't lead with it in arguments. Nothing kills a conversation faster than "well, everything is permitted, nothing is true" at a dinner table. It reads as "I'm above you." You're not.
- Teach it to kids as responsibility, not rebellion. My nephew asked about it from the game. I told him: it means you get to think for yourself, and you don't get to blame the screen when you're mean. He got it faster than most adults.
- Pair it with something grounding. The Creed alone can spin you out. Match it with a habit — exercise, writing, community work — so the freedom has a direction. Permission without direction is just noise.
- Read the source context. If you've only met this in a game, read a paragraph about Hassan-i Sabbah or the Ismailis. Not a whole degree. Just enough to know it wasn't born in a motion capture studio.
FAQ
Is "everything is permitted, nothing is true" from the Bible? No. It
draws from older esoteric and Islamic philosophical traditions, specifically the Nizari Ismaili sect, and entered modern pop culture through video games and novels. If someone told you it’s scripture, they skipped the footnotes.
Does living by this make you a bad person? Only if you drop the first half. “Everything is permitted” without “nothing is true” is just impulsiveness with a cool font. The full pairing forces you to question your urges before you act on them.
Can this work in a corporate job? Yes, quietly. It’s how you stop accepting “that’s just how we do it” as a reason. You check the assumption, then choose your move. Most people won’t even notice — they’re too busy repeating the manual.
What if I realize nothing is true and then feel lost? That’s the treadmill part. You don’t sit on the couch of meaninglessness — you build your own track. The lost feeling is temporary if you pair the freedom with a habit, a craft, or a community, like the tips said.
Conclusion
The Creed isn’t a slogan for chaos or a excuse for laziness — it’s a two-step filter for people who’d rather think than obey. Consider this: freedom without examination is just drifting. Most folks quote it for the aesthetic and miss the labor. But if you use it as a pause, teach it as responsibility, and ground it in something real, it stops being a tattoo and starts being a tool. “Nothing is true” cuts the lazy authority; “everything is permitted” hands you the wheel. Examination without freedom is just fear. The line sits between the two — and that’s exactly where you should stand Practical, not theoretical..
Not the most exciting part, but easily the most useful.
