  We can extract a simpler argument against direct reference theories from the messy shopper example by adding one more element to it. Consider the earlier time \(t_0\) when John first looked in the mirror and uttered ‘He is making a mess’, and now suppose he also uttered ‘I am not making a mess’ at that time. Then he believed the propositions expressed by both ‘He is making a mess’ and ‘I am not making a mess’ in his context at \(t_0\). But according to direct reference theories, ‘He is making a mess’ expresses, in John’s context at \(t_0\), the singular proposition that John is making a mess and the sentence ‘I am not making a mess’ expresses, in that same context, the singular proposition that John is not making a mess. So, if direct reference theories are true, then at \(t_0\), John believed both a proposition and its negation. But John is rational, and no rational person believes a proposition and its negation. Therefore, direct reference theories of indexicals are incorrect.