--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We do not want to count; we want to think…" description: "\"“We do not want to count; we want to think the count.”\" — Alain Badiou" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49d/alain-badiou-12380_counting_we-do-not-want-to-count-we-want-to-think_2237246.jpg" --- # We do not want to count; we want to think the count. ![“We do not want to count; we want to think the count.” quote by Alain Badiou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49d/alain-badiou-12380_counting_we-do-not-want-to-count-we-want-to-think_2237246.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49d/alain-badiou-12380_counting_we-do-not-want-to-count-we-want-to-think_2237246.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49d/alain-badiou-12380_counting_we-do-not-want-to-count-we-want-to-think_2237246.jpg) > ““We do not want to count; we want to think the count.”” [Alain Badiou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-badiou/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We should think beyond counting to understanding meaning. **In simple terms:** Think, not just count. Key Takeaway Prioritize critical thinking over mere tallying. Themes critical thinking philosophy meaning Mood analytical philosophical Type academic reflective When to use this quote - education - research - policy analysis Key Concepts ontology logic mathematics Questions to Reflect On - How does thinking transform raw data? - When is counting essential? A Different Perspective Counting can be necessary for data. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Count](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/count/) [Count Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/count-want-5056614/) [Counting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/counting/) [Mathematics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematics/) [Number](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/number/) [Think Count](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-count-1036200/) [Want Count](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-count-3904308/) [Want Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-think-236788/) ## Related quotes > [“Never mind being first. If you want to count for something, be the last of your kind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-strnad/never-mind-being-first-if-you-want-to-count-for-something-be-the-last/) [Jan Strnad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-strnad/) > [I'm sick of being alone. I want someone I can count on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-sick-of-being-alone-i-want-someone-i-can-count-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Count the things you want more of. Count the laughs, not calories.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grady-miller/count-the-things-you-want-more-of-count-the-laughs-not-calories/) [Grady Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grady-miller/) > [I cannot imagine why my vision will have some value in the world..and yet I know it will..I think I will count because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwen-john/i-cannot-imagine-why-my-vision-will-have-some-value-in-the-world-and/) [Gwen John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwen-john/) > [It's all down hill from that moment you begin to think you can count on someone besides yourself or God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-all-down-hill-from-that-moment-you-begin-to-think-you-can-count/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [They might know your name, not your story. 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Cigarette butts, trees, fence slats, clouds, or the number of paving stones between one phone pole and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herta-m-ller/i-do-a-lot-of-counting-cigarette-butts-trees-fence-slats-clouds-or/) [Herta Müller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herta-m-ller/) ## More by Alain Badiou > [“The oppressed peoples of the earth are not objects for the exquisite turmoil of European consciences. They are subjects from which to learn how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-badiou/the-oppressed-peoples-of-the-earth-are-not-objects-for-the-exquisite/) [Alain Badiou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-badiou/) > [“The audacity of thought is not to repeat 'to the limit' that which is already entirely retained within the situation which the limit limits;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-badiou/the-audacity-of-thought-is-not-to-repeat-to-the-limit-that-which-is/) [Alain Badiou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-badiou/) > [Emancipatory politics always consists in making seem possible precisely that which, from within the situation, is declared to be impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-badiou/emancipatory-politics-always-consists-in-making-seem-possible/) [Alain Badiou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-badiou/) > [To believe that the intolerable crime is to burn a few cars and rob some shops, whereas to kill a young man is trivial,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-badiou/to-believe-that-the-intolerable-crime-is-to-burn-a-few-cars-and-rob/) [Alain Badiou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-badiou/) > [All resistance is a rupture with what is. And every rupture begins, for those engaged in it, through a rupture with oneself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-badiou/all-resistance-is-a-rupture-with-what-is-and-every-rupture-begins-for/) [Alain Badiou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-badiou/) > [We have the riots we deserve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-badiou/we-have-the-riots-we-deserve/) [Alain Badiou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-badiou/) > [Art attests to what is inhuman in man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-badiou/art-attests-to-what-is-inhuman-in-man/) [Alain Badiou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-badiou/) > [“The 'economy of number' proposed by Peano is an economy of signs whose paradigm is algebraic, whose transparency is consensual, and whose operational effectiveness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-badiou/the-economy-of-number-proposed-by-peano-is-an-economy-of-signs-whose/) [Alain Badiou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-badiou/) > [Love can only consist in failure...on the fallacious assumption that it is a relationship. 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To give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-badiou/we-could-say-that-love-is-a-tenacious-adventure-the-adventurous-side/) [Alain Badiou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-badiou/) > [I would say, if you like, that the party is like an out-moded mathematics...that is to say, the mathematics of Euclid. We need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-badiou/i-would-say-if-you-like-that-the-party-is-like-an-out-moded/) [Alain Badiou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-badiou/) > [Evil is the interruption of a truth by the pressure of particular or individual interests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-badiou/evil-is-the-interruption-of-a-truth-by-the-pressure-of-particular-or/) [Alain Badiou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-badiou/) > [Without mathematics, we are blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-badiou/without-mathematics-we-are-blind/) [Alain Badiou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-badiou/) [Explore all 54 Alain Badiou quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-badiou/) ## More Count quotes > [Yes yes you can count on me - Fingers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/yes-yes-you-can-count-on-me-fingers/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [I really can't live without my In-N-Out burgers. Honestly, I can't. Even when I'm doing the whole no-carb thing occasionally, I make an exception…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-berkus/i-really-can-t-live-without-my-in-n-out-burgers-honestly-i-can-t-even/) [Nate Berkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-berkus/) > [If you do what you're supposed to do, it will come to you - it will happen on its own. I don't count numbers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-chubb/if-you-do-what-you-re-supposed-to-do-it-will-come-to-you-it-will/) [Nick Chubb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-chubb/) > [You don't count the dead, when god's on your side.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/you-don-t-count-the-dead-when-god-s-on-your-side/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [Don't count how many times you talk to God, just TALK!!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-cowell/don-t-count-how-many-times-you-talk-to-god-just-talk/) [Larry Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-cowell/) > [U only live once, so make ever second count!!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bridgett/u-only-live-once-so-make-ever-second-count/) [Bridgett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bridgett/) > [I count something as successful if it pleases the audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poonam-dhillon/i-count-something-as-successful-if-it-pleases-the-audience/) [Poonam Dhillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poonam-dhillon/) > [If you can't count, they can cheat you. If you can't read, they can beat you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/if-you-can-t-count-they-can-cheat-you-if-you-can-t-read-they-can-beat/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [Time means a great deal to every runner. It means everything to me, because most days miles don't count; only minutes do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-henderson/time-means-a-great-deal-to-every-runner-it-means-everything-to-me/) [Joe Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-henderson/) > [You count a man's U.S. Amateur titles after he starts winning professional majors. That's something any intelligent golf writer with a sense of history…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-jenkins/you-count-a-man-s-u-s-amateur-titles-after-he-starts-winning/) [Dan Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-jenkins/) > [Do you count your birthdays with gratitude?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/do-you-count-your-birthdays-with-gratitude/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [I can't count the number of times I've sat in a meeting where it's been 20 men and me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-dubuc/i-can-t-count-the-number-of-times-i-ve-sat-in-a-meeting-where-it-s/) [Nancy Dubuc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-dubuc/) > [Lula is off the charts. You cannot reproduce Lula; and you will always have to count him in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-haddad/lula-is-off-the-charts-you-cannot-reproduce-lula-and-you-will-always/) [Fernando Haddad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-haddad/) > [You can count on Errol Flynn, he'll always let you down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-niven/you-can-count-on-errol-flynn-he-ll-always-let-you-down/) [David Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-niven/) > [I count myself one of the number of those who write as they learn and learn as they write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/i-count-myself-one-of-the-number-of-those-who-write-as-they-learn-and/) [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) [Browse all 619 Count quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/count/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We do not want to count; we want to think the count.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alain Badiou" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-badiou/we-do-not-want-to-count-we-want-to-think-the-count/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Count" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-badiou/we-do-not-want-to-count-we-want-to-think-the-count/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49d/alain-badiou-12380_counting_we-do-not-want-to-count-we-want-to-think_2237246.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49d/alain-badiou-12380_counting_we-do-not-want-to-count-we-want-to-think_2237246.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49d/alain-badiou-12380_counting_we-do-not-want-to-count-we-want-to-think_2237246.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We do not want to count; we want to think the count.” — Alain Badiou", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alain Badiou", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-badiou/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“We do not want to count;...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-badiou/we-do-not-want-to-count-we-want-to-think-the-count/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-badiou/we-do-not-want-to-count-we-want-to-think-the-count/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```