--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I can understand that there are those who…" description: "\"I can understand that there are those who can think and imagine the world without words, but I think that once you find the words that name your experi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/750/alberto-manguel-2467_grounded_i-can-understand-that-there-are-those-wh_2721710.jpg" --- # I can understand that there are those who can think and… ![“I can understand that there are those who can think and imagine the world without words, but I think that once you find the words that name your experience, then suddenly that experience becomes grounded, and you can use it and you can try to understand it.” quote by Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/750/alberto-manguel-2467_grounded_i-can-understand-that-there-are-those-wh_2721710.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/750/alberto-manguel-2467_grounded_i-can-understand-that-there-are-those-wh_2721710.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/750/alberto-manguel-2467_grounded_i-can-understand-that-there-are-those-wh_2721710.jpg) > “I can understand that there are those who can think and imagine the world without words, but I think that once you find the words that name your experience, then suddenly that experience becomes grounded, and you can use it and you can try to understand it.” [Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Names give shape to experience, making it tangible and understandable. **In simple terms:** Finding words grounds feelings. Key Takeaway Seek language to clarify thoughts. Themes language perception understanding expression Mood inquisitive reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - therapy - creative writing - education - self‑reflection Key Concepts semiotics cognitive framing Questions to Reflect On - How do words both free and confine us? - What experiences resist naming? A Different Perspective Words can limit experience if they constrain nuance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Experience Grounded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience-grounded-2887106/) [Grounded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grounded/) [I can](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-can/) [Imagine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagine/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Names](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/names/) [Think Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-words/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Try to understand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/try-to-understand/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Understand Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understand-think-721171/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Words Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words-experience-287947/) [Words Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words-think/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [I don't think in words; I think in pictures, in images.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-henriksen/i-don-t-think-in-words-i-think-in-pictures-in-images/) [Lance Henriksen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-henriksen/) > [“It is a sin to think words no others think”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/it-is-a-sin-to-think-words-no-others-think/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [“... but I love language. It is a living, breathing, evolving thing, and language has power. Whether in a song lyric, a poem, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-velden/but-i-love-language-it-is-a-living-breathing-evolving-thing-and/) [Lily Velden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-velden/) > [“It’s not words that fail, it’s the people who wield them. We have no power over life and death, we are subject to pain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-zafra/it-s-not-words-that-fail-it-s-the-people-who-wield-them-we-have-no/) [Jessica Zafra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-zafra/) > [The process may seem strange and yet it is very true. I did not so much gain the knowledge of things by the words,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/the-process-may-seem-strange-and-yet-it-is-very-true-i-did-not-so/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [When you start to try to understand everything in terms of words, the understanding of the words becomes the experience, and the experience gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-alan-wolf/when-you-start-to-try-to-understand-everything-in-terms-of-words-the/) [Fred Alan Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-alan-wolf/) > [Problems cannot be solved with words, but only through experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/problems-cannot-be-solved-with-words-but-only-through-experience/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) > [In ways I don't entirely have the words for, an experience, thought or a lesson isn't real for me until I've written down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-fuller/in-ways-i-don-t-entirely-have-the-words-for-an-experience-thought-or/) [Alexandra Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-fuller/) > [We live not only in a world of thoughts, but also in a world of things. Words without experience are meaningless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/we-live-not-only-in-a-world-of-thoughts-but-also-in-a-world-of-things/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [“There's a place beyond words where experience first occurs to which I always want to return.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerzy-kosi-ski/there-s-a-place-beyond-words-where-experience-first-occurs-to-which-i/) [Jerzy Kosiński](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerzy-kosi-ski/) > [Words without experience are meaningless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/words-without-experience-are-meaningless/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I am not sure you realise that what you heard is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-know-that-you-believe-you-understand-what-you-think-i-said-but-i-am/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Be clear on whether you are arguing or seeking to understand, and think about which is most appropriate based on your and others’ believability.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/be-clear-on-whether-you-are-arguing-or-seeking-to-understand-and/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [It's important for a guy to know and understand me before he can even think about taking things to the next step.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mollie-king/it-s-important-for-a-guy-to-know-and-understand-me-before-he-can-even/) [Mollie King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mollie-king/) > [With any villain, you have to see things from their point of view and understand that they think what they're doing will make the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-morton/with-any-villain-you-have-to-see-things-from-their-point-of-view-and/) [Joe Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-morton/) ## More by Alberto Manguel > [Most readers, then and now, have at some time experienced the humiliation of being told that their occupation is reprehensible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/most-readers-then-and-now-have-at-some-time-experienced-the/) [Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) > [Libraries, whether my own or shared with a greater reading public, have always seemed to me pleasantly mad places, and for as long as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/libraries-whether-my-own-or-shared-with-a-greater-reading-public-have/) [Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) > [At different times and in different places I have come to expect certain books to look a certain way, and, as in all fashions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/at-different-times-and-in-different-places-i-have-come-to-expect/) [Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) > [I have no feelings of guilt regarding the books I have not read and perhaps will never read; I know that my books have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/i-have-no-feelings-of-guilt-regarding-the-books-i-have-not-read-and/) [Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) > [“Then one day, from the window of a car (the destination of that journey is now forgotten), I saw a billboard by the side…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/then-one-day-from-the-window-of-a-car-the-destination-of-that-journey/) [Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) > [The shelves of books we haven't written, like those of books we haven't read, stretches out into the darkness of the universal library's farthest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/the-shelves-of-books-we-haven-t-written-like-those-of-books-we-haven/) [Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) > [“I have no feeling of guilt regarding the books I have not read and perhaps will never read; I know that my books have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/i-have-no-feeling-of-guilt-regarding-the-books-i-have-not-read-and/) [Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) > [Old books that we have known but not possessed cross our path and invite themselves over. New books try to seduce us daily with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/old-books-that-we-have-known-but-not-possessed-cross-our-path-and/) [Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) > [Ordered by subject, by importance, ordered according to whether the book was penned by God or by one of God's creatures, ordered alphabetically or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/ordered-by-subject-by-importance-ordered-according-to-whether-the/) [Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) > [The starting point is a question.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/the-starting-point-is-a-question/) [Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) > [“Ljubav je imbecilna izvesnost pomoću koje naša fantazija stvara verodostojnu utvaru.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/ljubav-je-imbecilna-izvesnost-pomo-u-koje-na-a-fantazija-stvara/) [Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) > [I know that something dies when i give up my books, and that my memory keeps going back to them with mournful nostalgia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/i-know-that-something-dies-when-i-give-up-my-books-and-that-my-memory/) [Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) > [Something about the possession of a book - an object that can contain infinite fables, words of wisdom, chronicles of times gone by, humorous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/something-about-the-possession-of-a-book-an-object-that-can-contain/) [Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) > [Maybe this is why we read, and why in moments of darkness we return to books: to find words for what we already know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/maybe-this-is-why-we-read-and-why-in-moments-of-darkness-we-return-to/) [Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) > [As centuries of dictators have known, an illiterate crowd is the easiest to rule; since the craft of reading cannot be untaught once it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/as-centuries-of-dictators-have-known-an-illiterate-crowd-is-the/) [Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) [Explore all 159 Alberto Manguel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) ## More Grounded quotes > [The strains and stresses suffered by the individual in society are grounded in the normal functioning of that society (and of the individual!) rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-marcuse/the-strains-and-stresses-suffered-by-the-individual-in-society-are/) [Herbert Marcuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-marcuse/) > [ I went to a mosque in Philadelphia with \[my wife\] in December 24, 1999. And we we went to this mosque in Philly, and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahershala-ali/i-went-to-a-mosque-in-philadelphia-with-my-wife-in-december-24-1999/) [Mahershala Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahershala-ali/) > [“But, he continues, if you need something to hold on to until you feel grounded, I make a pretty good anchor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kasie-west/but-he-continues-if-you-need-something-to-hold-on-to-until-you-feel/) [Kasie West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kasie-west/) > [I have a really grounded group of friends, and they like me no matter what. I think it's really important to know who your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-guthy/i-have-a-really-grounded-group-of-friends-and-they-like-me-no-matter/) [Jackson Guthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-guthy/) > [We are all potentially such sick men. The sanest and best of us are of one clay with lunatics and prison-inmates. And whenever we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/we-are-all-potentially-such-sick-men-the-sanest-and-best-of-us-are-of/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [On the road, I try to maintain my connections with friends and family as much as I possibly can. That keeps me pretty grounded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noelle-scaggs/on-the-road-i-try-to-maintain-my-connections-with-friends-and-family/) [Noelle Scaggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noelle-scaggs/) > [Working in Hollywood can be tumultuous, with incredible highs and lows and you need to be grounded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wood/working-in-hollywood-can-be-tumultuous-with-incredible-highs-and-lows/) [Douglas Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wood/) > [I have an amazing wife, Tia, and an amazing son, Cree, and I'm a family man first and they keep me grounded. They're my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-hardrict/i-have-an-amazing-wife-tia-and-an-amazing-son-cree-and-i-m-a-family/) [Cory Hardrict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-hardrict/) > [I wasn't one to go out and buy a new car and stereo system and expensive clothes. My mom helped keep me grounded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-applegate/i-wasn-t-one-to-go-out-and-buy-a-new-car-and-stereo-system-and/) [Christina Applegate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-applegate/) > [What I do with my kids is - and I think they probably do ignore us - is No Alcohol. If they're drunk they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/what-i-do-with-my-kids-is-and-i-think-they-probably-do-ignore-us-is/) [Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/) > [I don't feel I was ever a 'famous' child actor. I was just a working actor who happened to be a kid. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-moss/i-don-t-feel-i-was-ever-a-famous-child-actor-i-was-just-a-working/) [Elisabeth Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-moss/) > [Respect man, love man. Respect his individuality, respect his differences. And that is possible only if you respect your individuality. That is possible only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/respect-man-love-man-respect-his-individuality-respect-his/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [You have to be quite grounded, and I don't know what that is. Sometimes, that means being vulnerable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-lennox/you-have-to-be-quite-grounded-and-i-don-t-know-what-that-is-sometimes/) [Annie Lennox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-lennox/) > [With no other privilege than that of sympathy and sincere good wishes, I would address an affectionate exhortation to the youthful literati, grounded on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-taylor-coleridge/with-no-other-privilege-than-that-of-sympathy-and-sincere-good-wishes/) [Samuel Taylor Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-taylor-coleridge/) > [People want a grounded government. They want a government that's going to be responsible to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-paladino/people-want-a-grounded-government-they-want-a-government-that-s-going/) [Carl Paladino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-paladino/) [Browse all 759 Grounded quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grounded/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I can understand that there are those who can think and imagine the world without words, but I think that once you find the words that name your experience, then suddenly that experience becomes grounded, and you can use it and you can try to understand it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alberto Manguel" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/i-can-understand-that-there-are-those-who-can-think-and-imagine-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Grounded" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/i-can-understand-that-there-are-those-who-can-think-and-imagine-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/750/alberto-manguel-2467_grounded_i-can-understand-that-there-are-those-wh_2721710.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/750/alberto-manguel-2467_grounded_i-can-understand-that-there-are-those-wh_2721710.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/750/alberto-manguel-2467_grounded_i-can-understand-that-there-are-those-wh_2721710.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I can understand that there are those who can think and imagine the world without words, but I think that…” — Alberto Manguel", "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": "Alberto Manguel", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I can understand that there are...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/i-can-understand-that-there-are-those-who-can-think-and-imagine-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/i-can-understand-that-there-are-those-who-can-think-and-imagine-the/#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 } } ] } ```