--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Life inevitably translates into time…" description: "\"“Life inevitably translates into time. That is why the sum total of it is called 'a lifetime'. Freedom is the potential to spend one's time in any fash..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75e/gil-scott-heron-9568_life_life-inevitably-translates-into-time-tha_2956547.jpg" --- # Life inevitably translates into time. That is why the sum… ![“Life inevitably translates into time. That is why the sum total of it is called 'a lifetime'. Freedom is the potential to spend one's time in any fashion one determines. I would always want the time invested in my ideas to be profitable, to give the reader something lasting for their investment in…” quote by Gil Scott-Heron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75e/gil-scott-heron-9568_life_life-inevitably-translates-into-time-tha_2956547.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75e/gil-scott-heron-9568_life_life-inevitably-translates-into-time-tha_2956547.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75e/gil-scott-heron-9568_life_life-inevitably-translates-into-time-tha_2956547.jpg) > ““Life inevitably translates into time. That is why the sum total of it is called 'a lifetime'. Freedom is the potential to spend one's time in any fashion one determines. I would always want the time invested in my ideas to be profitable, to give the reader something lasting for their investment in me. It is very important to me that my ideas be understood. It is not as important that I be understood. I believe that this is a matter of respect; your most significant asset is your time and your commitment to invest a portion of it considering my ideas means it is worth a sincere attempt on my part to transmit the essence of the idea. If you are looking, I want to make sure that there is something here for you to find.”” [Gil Scott-Heron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-scott-heron/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Emphasizes time as a precious asset, urging creators to invest it wisely and respect the audience's time. **In simple terms:** Time is valuable; use it wisely. Key Takeaway Invest time in meaningful work. Themes time creativity respect Mood reflective motivational Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - writing - artistic projects - business planning - education Key Concepts economics ethics Questions to Reflect On - How do you measure the value of your time? - What boundaries protect your creative energy? A Different Perspective May undervalue leisure and rest. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“Life inevitably translates into time. That is why the sum total of it is called ‘a lifetime’. Freedom is the potential to spend one’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-scott-heron/life-inevitably-translates-into-time-that-is-why-the-sum-total-of-it/) [Gil Scott-Heron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-scott-heron/) > [I think the American people, through the healthy exchange of ideas, understood that they could do better as a country, in terms of healthcare,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-o-meara-sanders/i-think-the-american-people-through-the-healthy-exchange-of-ideas/) [Jane O'Meara Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-o-meara-sanders/) > [“There is freedom within the potential to choose how to live life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-redhead/there-is-freedom-within-the-potential-to-choose-how-to-live-life/) [Steven Redhead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-redhead/) > [Humanity is at a fork in the road and we can no longer stand there staring at the map pondering which direction to take.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-icke/humanity-is-at-a-fork-in-the-road-and-we-can-no-longer-stand-there/) [David Icke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-icke/) > [“All products are a multiplication of time invested”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/all-products-are-a-multiplication-of-time-invested/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [How much time have you invested in thinking about strategy? How many options have you considered before the plan was written? How have you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-mckeown/how-much-time-have-you-invested-in-thinking-about-strategy-how-many/) [Max McKeown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-mckeown/) > [“Money is what you get in exchange with time invested”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/money-is-what-you-get-in-exchange-with-time-invested/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [The monumental digital shift has taken place so fast, we haven't really had time or invested the energy to evaluate what this is doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tricia-rhodes/the-monumental-digital-shift-has-taken-place-so-fast-we-haven-t/) [Tricia Rhodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tricia-rhodes/) > [“Time invested converts a pauper into a business man”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/time-invested-converts-a-pauper-into-a-business-man/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [“Time should be invested instead of wasting it or spending it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/time-should-be-invested-instead-of-wasting-it-or-spending-it/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [I didn't care how much work it would take, and I didn't see the time invested as a waste or like I was missing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misty-copeland/i-didn-t-care-how-much-work-it-would-take-and-i-didn-t-see-the-time/) [Misty Copeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misty-copeland/) > [“Time invested converts a pauper into a wealthy man”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/time-invested-converts-a-pauper-into-a-wealthy-man/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [I like my products to be smart in a technical way but to show the time invested in their creation, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-wanders/i-like-my-products-to-be-smart-in-a-technical-way-but-to-show-the/) [Marcel Wanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-wanders/) > [“Some people help with time, some with time invested to make money. One isn’t worth more than the other, when you consider what each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/some-people-help-with-time-some-with-time-invested-to-make-money-one/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“There is no ending to the number of products you can produce with your time if well invested.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/there-is-no-ending-to-the-number-of-products-you-can-produce-with/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) ## More by Gil Scott-Heron > [Oftentimes, the way it seems to be is that our artists in particular point themselves out as spokesmen for a certain constituency in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-scott-heron/oftentimes-the-way-it-seems-to-be-is-that-our-artists-in-particular/) [Gil Scott-Heron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-scott-heron/) > [I was one of the first three black students to go to an all-white school in Tennessee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-scott-heron/i-was-one-of-the-first-three-black-students-to-go-to-an-all-white/) [Gil Scott-Heron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-scott-heron/) > [A good poet feels what his community feels. Like if you stub your toe, the rest of your body hurts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-scott-heron/a-good-poet-feels-what-his-community-feels-like-if-you-stub-your-toe/) [Gil Scott-Heron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-scott-heron/) > [I find it not just strange but almost ridiculous that people could take a song like the one I was doing and interpret it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-scott-heron/i-find-it-not-just-strange-but-almost-ridiculous-that-people-could/) [Gil Scott-Heron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-scott-heron/) > [Womenfolk raised me and I was full-grown before I knew I came from a broken home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-scott-heron/womenfolk-raised-me-and-i-was-full-grown-before-i-knew-i-came-from-a/) [Gil Scott-Heron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-scott-heron/) > [If you aren't having no fun, die, because you're running a worthless program, far as I'm concerned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-scott-heron/if-you-aren-t-having-no-fun-die-because-you-re-running-a-worthless/) [Gil Scott-Heron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-scott-heron/) > [I have a novel that I can write. 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You hope they do, but not twenty-four hours a day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-scott-heron/your-life-has-to-consist-of-more-than-black-people-should-unite-you/) [Gil Scott-Heron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-scott-heron/) > [You should be able to do anything you can afford as an adult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-scott-heron/you-should-be-able-to-do-anything-you-can-afford-as-an-adult/) [Gil Scott-Heron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-scott-heron/) > [You know what has made me the happiest I've ever been? Seeing my son and daughter graduate from college. More than wanting them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-scott-heron/you-know-what-has-made-me-the-happiest-i-ve-ever-been-seeing-my-son/) [Gil Scott-Heron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-scott-heron/) > [I've always had questions about what it meant to be a protester, to be in the minority. 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/) [Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Life is full of change. 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When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“There's more to life than you can see. Your sight is limited.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammy-kling/there-s-more-to-life-than-you-can-see-your-sight-is-limited/) [Tammy Kling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tammy-kling/) > [“I've spent much of my life calling my intuition "something wrong with me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deanna-l-lawlis/i-ve-spent-much-of-my-life-calling-my-intuition-something-wrong-with/) Deanna L. Lawlis > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [The only people who think the Internet is a calamity are people whose lives have been hurt by it; the only people who insist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/the-only-people-who-think-the-internet-is-a-calamity-are-people-whose/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The future is only an indifferent void no one cares about, but the past is filled with life, and its countenance is irritating, repellent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-future-is-only-an-indifferent-void-no-one-cares-about-but-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Two things revolutionised life: moving to the countryside and falling in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-love/two-things-revolutionised-life-moving-to-the-countryside-and-falling/) [Nick Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-love/) > [But just remember, life without me would be even more unbearable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/but-just-remember-life-without-me-would-be-even-more-unbearable/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) [Browse all 265,290 Life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Life inevitably translates into time. 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