--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The problem is we don’t notice the years…" description: "\"“The problem is we don’t notice the years pass, he thought. Screw the years—we don’t notice things change. We know that things change, we’ve been told ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f1/arkady-strugatsky-21134_change_the-problem-is-we-don-t-notice-the-years_1054772.jpg" --- # The problem is we don’t notice the years pass, he thought… ![“The problem is we don’t notice the years pass, he thought. Screw the years—we don’t notice things change. We know that things change, we’ve been told since childhood that things change, we’ve witnessed things change ourselves many a time, and yet we’re still utterly incapable of noticing the…” quote by Arkady Strugatsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f1/arkady-strugatsky-21134_change_the-problem-is-we-don-t-notice-the-years_1054772.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f1/arkady-strugatsky-21134_change_the-problem-is-we-don-t-notice-the-years_1054772.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f1/arkady-strugatsky-21134_change_the-problem-is-we-don-t-notice-the-years_1054772.jpg) > ““The problem is we don’t notice the years pass, he thought. Screw the years—we don’t notice things change. We know that things change, we’ve been told since childhood that things change, we’ve witnessed things change ourselves many a time, and yet we’re still utterly incapable of noticing the moment that change comes—or we search for change in all the wrong places.”” [Arkady Strugatsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arkady-strugatsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often overlook gradual change, assuming it happens only in dramatic moments, missing subtle shifts in daily life. **In simple terms:** We miss slow changes. Key Takeaway Pay attention to small daily signs of change. Themes perception time change awareness Mood reflective thoughtful Type observational philosophical When to use this quote - personal growth - relationships - career development - social movements Key Concepts psychology philosophy cognitive bias Questions to Reflect On - How can you become more aware of subtle changes? - What daily habits reveal hidden shifts? A Different Perspective Change can be so gradual it feels invisible, making it hard to act timely. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Change Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-know-388490/) [Moment Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moment-change-258174/) [Things change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-change/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Wrong place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong-place/) [Years Pass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-pass/) ## Related quotes > [“We don't notice things change. We know that things change, we've been told since childhood that things change, we've witnessed things change ourselves many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arkady-and-boris-strugatsky/we-don-t-notice-things-change-we-know-that-things-change-we-ve-been/) [Arkady and Boris Strugatsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arkady-and-boris-strugatsky/) > [I've been through so much in my life. I've seen so much. I know how fast things can change. I know someone can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-marie-presley/i-ve-been-through-so-much-in-my-life-i-ve-seen-so-much-i-know-how/) [Lisa Marie Presley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-marie-presley/) > [Any moment,everything can change.. - Hilary Duff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-duff/any-moment-everything-can-change-hilary-duff/) [Hilary Duff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-duff/) > [There were moments, of course. Those small spaces in time, too soon gone, when everything seems to stand still, and existence is balanced on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/there-were-moments-of-course-those-small-spaces-in-time-too-soon-gone/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [“If there's one thing I've learned over the years It's that it only takes one person...one moment to change your life forever. To change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-yang/if-there-s-one-thing-i-ve-learned-over-the-years-it-s-that-it-only/) [Christina Yang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-yang/) > [“Every single second is an opportunity to change your life because in any moment, you can change the way you feel.” – Rhonda Byrne”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stellan-moreira/every-single-second-is-an-opportunity-to-change-your-life-because-in/) [Stellan Moreira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stellan-moreira/) > [“The moment of change is usually not dazzling. It is a quiet, internal choice. No one can see it, but your life will never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-boylan/the-moment-of-change-is-usually-not-dazzling-it-is-a-quiet-internal/) [Simon Boylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-boylan/) > [I believe in career cycles and when one is close to ending you start to plan things. It's the moment for a change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayoze-perez/i-believe-in-career-cycles-and-when-one-is-close-to-ending-you-start/) [Ayoze Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayoze-perez/) > [Never forget: This very moment, we can change our lives. There never was a moment, and never will be, when we are without the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pressfield/never-forget-this-very-moment-we-can-change-our-lives-there-never-was-2/) [Steven Pressfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pressfield/) > [“It’s weird how one moment can change everything. Forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindi-madsen/it-s-weird-how-one-moment-can-change-everything-forever/) [Cindi Madsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindi-madsen/) > [Every moment is a change, we all want to live with new experiences. but nothing happens. because there is no change with in you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yssubramanyam/every-moment-is-a-change-we-all-want-to-live-with-new-experiences-but/) [Yssubramanyam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yssubramanyam/) > [I've come to believe that in everyone's life, there's one undeniable moment of change, a set of circumstances that suddenly alters everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/i-ve-come-to-believe-that-in-everyone-s-life-there-s-one-undeniable/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [Never forget: This very moment, we can change our lives. There never was a moment, and never will be, when we are without the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pressfield/never-forget-this-very-moment-we-can-change-our-lives-there-never-was/) [Steven Pressfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pressfield/) > [Sometimes things dont last. and sometimes at that moment when they change you dont even care bout them no more. you just switch to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teady/sometimes-things-dont-last-and-sometimes-at-that-moment-when-they/) [$Teady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teady/) > [“..:One moment can change a life for ever. One mistake can kill many. One gesture of love and kindness, Can make a heart rejoice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-garcia/one-moment-can-change-a-life-for-ever-one-mistake-can-kill-many-one/) [Rafael Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-garcia/) ## More by Arkady Strugatsky > [“He stretched his huge hands toward her. She timidly reached for him and immediately shrank back. On his fingers … But it wasn’t blood—only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arkady-strugatsky/he-stretched-his-huge-hands-toward-her-she-timidly-reached-for-him/) [Arkady Strugatsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arkady-strugatsky/) > [“The hypothesis of God, for instance, gives an incomparably absolute opportunity to understand everything and know absolutely nothing. Give man an extremely simplified system…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arkady-strugatsky/the-hypothesis-of-god-for-instance-gives-an-incomparably-absolute/) [Arkady Strugatsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arkady-strugatsky/) > [“Śmierć nie może człowieka tak okaleczyć, tylko życie to potrafi. Ono mnie też okaleczy i nic na to nie można poradzić. Nie trzeba się…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arkady-strugatsky/mier-nie-mo-e-cz-owieka-tak-okaleczy-tylko-ycie-to-potrafi-ono-mnie/) [Arkady Strugatsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arkady-strugatsky/) > [“a man who is well brought-up may read anything. The only people who boggle at what is perfectly natural are those who are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arkady-strugatsky/a-man-who-is-well-brought-up-may-read-anything-the-only-people-who/) [Arkady Strugatsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arkady-strugatsky/) > [“This use of ordinary people as the principal characters was fairly rare in science fiction when the book came out, and even now the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arkady-strugatsky/this-use-of-ordinary-people-as-the-principal-characters-was-fairly/) [Arkady Strugatsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arkady-strugatsky/) > [“If God undertakes to clean an outhouse, let him not believe that his hands will remain clean.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arkady-strugatsky/if-god-undertakes-to-clean-an-outhouse-let-him-not-believe-that-his/) [Arkady Strugatsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arkady-strugatsky/) > [“INTERVIEWER: You probably mean stalkers? DR. PILLMAN: I’m not familiar with the term. INTERVIEWER: That’s what the residents of Harmont call the desperate young…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arkady-strugatsky/interviewer-you-probably-mean-stalkers-dr-pillman-i-m-not-familiar/) [Arkady Strugatsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arkady-strugatsky/) > [“He gives me a look, and I see that he’s in no mood for jokes. He’s right—this is no joke. But when you’re leaving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arkady-strugatsky/he-gives-me-a-look-and-i-see-that-he-s-in-no-mood-for-jokes-he-s/) [Arkady Strugatsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arkady-strugatsky/) > [“Strange department, this. Their motto was: "The comprehension of Infinity requires infinite time." I did not argue with that, but then they derived an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arkady-strugatsky/strange-department-this-their-motto-was-the-comprehension-of-infinity/) [Arkady Strugatsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arkady-strugatsky/) > [“You’re absolutely right. Our little town is a hole. It always has been and still is. But now it is a hole into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arkady-strugatsky/you-re-absolutely-right-our-little-town-is-a-hole-it-always-has-been/) [Arkady Strugatsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arkady-strugatsky/) > [“HAPPINESS FOR EVERYBODY, FREE, AND NO ONE WILL GO AWAY UNSATISFIED!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arkady-strugatsky/happiness-for-everybody-free-and-no-one-will-go-away-unsatisfied/) [Arkady Strugatsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arkady-strugatsky/) > [“A może w tym świecie w ogóle nie można inaczej i żeby dokonać czegoś pożytecznego trzeba najpierw robić rzeczy idiotyczne?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arkady-strugatsky/a-mo-e-w-tym-wiecie-w-og-le-nie-mo-na-inaczej-i-eby-dokona-czego-po/) [Arkady Strugatsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arkady-strugatsky/) > [“...It's like trying to fit an octopus into a pair of tuxedo pants. And not a plain octopus at that, but an octopus that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arkady-strugatsky/it-s-like-trying-to-fit-an-octopus-into-a-pair-of-tuxedo-pants-and/) [Arkady Strugatsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arkady-strugatsky/) > [“Look into my soul, I know - everything you need is in there. It has to be. Because I've never sold my soul to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arkady-strugatsky/look-into-my-soul-i-know-everything-you-need-is-in-there-it-has-to-be/) [Arkady Strugatsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arkady-strugatsky/) > [“Intelligence is the ability to harness the powers of the surrounding world without destroying the said world”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arkady-strugatsky/intelligence-is-the-ability-to-harness-the-powers-of-the-surrounding/) [Arkady Strugatsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arkady-strugatsky/) [Explore all 26 Arkady Strugatsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arkady-strugatsky/) ## More Change quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) [Phil Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-hogan/) > [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/) [Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/) > [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/) [Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/) > [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) [Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The problem is we don’t notice the years pass, he thought. Screw the years—we don’t notice things change. We know that things change, we’ve been told since childhood that things change, we’ve witnessed things change ourselves many a time, and yet we’re still utterly incapable of noticing the moment that change comes—or we search for change in all the wrong places.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Arkady Strugatsky" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arkady-strugatsky/the-problem-is-we-don-t-notice-the-years-pass-he-thought-screw-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Change" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arkady-strugatsky/the-problem-is-we-don-t-notice-the-years-pass-he-thought-screw-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f1/arkady-strugatsky-21134_change_the-problem-is-we-don-t-notice-the-years_1054772.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f1/arkady-strugatsky-21134_change_the-problem-is-we-don-t-notice-the-years_1054772.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f1/arkady-strugatsky-21134_change_the-problem-is-we-don-t-notice-the-years_1054772.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The problem is we don’t notice the years pass, he thought. Screw the years—we don’t notice things change. We…” — Arkady Strugatsky", "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": "Arkady Strugatsky", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arkady-strugatsky/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The problem is we don’t notice...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arkady-strugatsky/the-problem-is-we-don-t-notice-the-years-pass-he-thought-screw-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arkady-strugatsky/the-problem-is-we-don-t-notice-the-years-pass-he-thought-screw-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 } } ] } ```