--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I am not sure that I could explain in a…" description: "\"“I am not sure that I could explain in a way you could understand,\" replied the old man. \"We judge life by our own reactions and sensations, and the re..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0cb/j-jefferson-farjeon-77213_life_i-am-not-sure-that-i-could-explain-in-a_1400311.jpg" --- # I am not sure that I could explain in a way you could… ![“I am not sure that I could explain in a way you could understand," replied the old man. "We judge life by our own reactions and sensations, and the reactions and sensations of others are often mere incomprehensible theories.” quote by J. Jefferson Farjeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0cb/j-jefferson-farjeon-77213_life_i-am-not-sure-that-i-could-explain-in-a_1400311.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0cb/j-jefferson-farjeon-77213_life_i-am-not-sure-that-i-could-explain-in-a_1400311.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0cb/j-jefferson-farjeon-77213_life_i-am-not-sure-that-i-could-explain-in-a_1400311.jpg) > ““I am not sure that I could explain in a way you could understand," replied the old man. "We judge life by our own reactions and sensations, and the reactions and sensations of others are often mere incomprehensible theories.”” J. Jefferson Farjeon ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We interpret existence through personal feelings, while others' experiences remain largely unknowable and abstract. **In simple terms:** We judge life by our feelings; others' feelings are hard to grasp. Key Takeaway Recognize limits of understanding others. Themes perception subjectivity communication Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical insightful When to use this quote - personal relationships - conflict resolution - teaching - cross‑cultural dialogue Key Concepts empiricism theory of mind Questions to Reflect On - How can we bridge gaps between differing perceptions? - What practices help us appreciate others' inner worlds? A Different Perspective Our judgments are biased by our own senses, limiting true empathy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Old man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-man/) ## Related quotes > [“Desford said abruptly: "How old are you, my child? Sixteen? Seventeen?" "Oh, no, I am much older than that!" she replied. "I'm as old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgette-heyer/desford-said-abruptly-how-old-are-you-my-child-sixteen-seventeen-oh/) [Georgette Heyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgette-heyer/) > [“was asked, ‘Can you bring six million Jews to Palestine?’ I replied, ‘No.’ . . . The old ones will pass. They will bear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-hecht/was-asked-can-you-bring-six-million-jews-to-palestine-i-replied-no/) [Ben Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-hecht/) > [How could he convey to someone who'd never even met her the way she always smelled like rain, or how his stomach knotted up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/how-could-he-convey-to-someone-who-d-never-even-met-her-the-way-she/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [The truth needs to explain why you are the way you are, why you did what you did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/no-i-d/the-truth-needs-to-explain-why-you-are-the-way-you-are-why-you-did/) [No I.D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/no-i-d/) > [You just start going through that process of trying to put together a cast that works. I don't know that I can explain it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/you-just-start-going-through-that-process-of-trying-to-put-together-a/) [Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/) > [“Have you ever come across something you couldn't explain?" "Explain in what way? I could explain a ghost by saying, 'yes, that's a ghost.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/have-you-ever-come-across-something-you-couldn-t-explain-explain-in/) [Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/) > [“I am not sure how to explain it, except that - truth matters to us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/i-am-not-sure-how-to-explain-it-except-that-truth-matters-to-us/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [To be in a room and have to explain your point of view is a huge skill in Hollywood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-savage/to-be-in-a-room-and-have-to-explain-your-point-of-view-is-a-huge/) [Stephanie Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-savage/) > [There is an indefinable quality possessed by some artists. You simply can't explain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-ellen/there-is-an-indefinable-quality-possessed-by-some-artists-you-simply/) [Vera-Ellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-ellen/) > [“I'm afraid I can't explain myself, sir. Because I am not myself, you see?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-carroll/i-m-afraid-i-can-t-explain-myself-sir-because-i-am-not-myself-you-see/) [Lewis Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-carroll/) > [If you win you need not explain……But if you lose you should not be there to explain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-win-you-need-not-explain-but-if-you-lose-you-should-not-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [How do you explain a person like Asha Bhosle? A star or a super star or just someone from the Gods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anu-malik/how-do-you-explain-a-person-like-asha-bhosle-a-star-or-a-super-star/) [Anu Malik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anu-malik/) > [If you have a good idea you must explain it or you will fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/if-you-have-a-good-idea-you-must-explain-it-or-you-will-fail/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Back home I get to see my old friends!(: But they don't understand the change in me and I can't explain it to them...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade/back-home-i-get-to-see-my-old-friends-but-they-don-t-understand-the/) [Jade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade/) > [You have to talk about why things happened the way they did. You can't actually explain my political life except by a series of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lange/you-have-to-talk-about-why-things-happened-the-way-they-did-you-can-t/) [David Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lange/) ## More by J. Jefferson Farjeon > [“Yes—I think you’re correct,” he nodded as he returned. “It isn’t saying much, sergeant, but you’re not quite the fool you look.” “Very kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-jefferson-farjeon/yes-i-think-you-re-correct-he-nodded-as-he-returned-it-isn-t-saying/) J. Jefferson Farjeon > [“That is why any general, however wrong he may be--take Napoleon, to avoid the politics of mere contemporary examples--must believe in himself to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-jefferson-farjeon/that-is-why-any-general-however-wrong-he-may-be-take-napoleon-to/) J. Jefferson Farjeon Explore all 3 J. Jefferson Farjeon quotes ## More Explain quotes > [You have to talk about why things happened the way they did. You can't actually explain my political life except by a series of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lange/you-have-to-talk-about-why-things-happened-the-way-they-did-you-can-t/) [David Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lange/) > [Back home I get to see my old friends!(: But they don't understand the change in me and I can't explain it to them...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade/back-home-i-get-to-see-my-old-friends-but-they-don-t-understand-the/) [Jade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade/) > [If you have a good idea you must explain it or you will fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/if-you-have-a-good-idea-you-must-explain-it-or-you-will-fail/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [How do you explain a person like Asha Bhosle? A star or a super star or just someone from the Gods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anu-malik/how-do-you-explain-a-person-like-asha-bhosle-a-star-or-a-super-star/) [Anu Malik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anu-malik/) > [If you win you need not explain……But if you lose you should not be there to explain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-win-you-need-not-explain-but-if-you-lose-you-should-not-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I'm afraid I can't explain myself, sir. Because I am not myself, you see?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-carroll/i-m-afraid-i-can-t-explain-myself-sir-because-i-am-not-myself-you-see/) [Lewis Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-carroll/) > [There is an indefinable quality possessed by some artists. You simply can't explain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-ellen/there-is-an-indefinable-quality-possessed-by-some-artists-you-simply/) [Vera-Ellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-ellen/) > [To be in a room and have to explain your point of view is a huge skill in Hollywood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-savage/to-be-in-a-room-and-have-to-explain-your-point-of-view-is-a-huge/) [Stephanie Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-savage/) > [“I am not sure how to explain it, except that - truth matters to us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/i-am-not-sure-how-to-explain-it-except-that-truth-matters-to-us/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [When I'm creating art or music, when something is resonating or a scene is going well, that almost feels religious to me... there's this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-thatcher/when-i-m-creating-art-or-music-when-something-is-resonating-or-a/) [Sophie Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-thatcher/) > [In a Western, you don't over-explain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-dean-morgan/in-a-western-you-don-t-over-explain/) [Jeffrey Dean Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-dean-morgan/) > [I'm not the guy who will sit in a room with somebody who's using a bunch of big words and just act like I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-wahlberg/i-m-not-the-guy-who-will-sit-in-a-room-with-somebody-who-s-using-a/) [Mark Wahlberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-wahlberg/) > [I explain at the parties that I believe knitting is a transformative and intriguing act that can change the life and brain of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-pearl-mcphee/i-explain-at-the-parties-that-i-believe-knitting-is-a-transformative/) [Stephanie Pearl-McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-pearl-mcphee/) > [Old cookbooks connect you to your past and explain the history of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/old-cookbooks-connect-you-to-your-past-and-explain-the-history-of-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There is no way to explain enlightenment. It is just a word to indicate something beyond, something very, very far beyond the normal human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/there-is-no-way-to-explain-enlightenment-it-is-just-a-word-to/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) Browse all 989 Explain quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I am not sure that I could explain in a way you could understand,\" replied the old man. \"We judge life by our own reactions and sensations, and the reactions and sensations of others are often mere incomprehensible theories.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "J. Jefferson Farjeon" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-jefferson-farjeon/i-am-not-sure-that-i-could-explain-in-a-way-you-could-understand/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Explain" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-jefferson-farjeon/i-am-not-sure-that-i-could-explain-in-a-way-you-could-understand/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0cb/j-jefferson-farjeon-77213_life_i-am-not-sure-that-i-could-explain-in-a_1400311.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0cb/j-jefferson-farjeon-77213_life_i-am-not-sure-that-i-could-explain-in-a_1400311.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0cb/j-jefferson-farjeon-77213_life_i-am-not-sure-that-i-could-explain-in-a_1400311.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I am not sure that I could explain in a way you could understand,\" replied the old man. \"We judge life by…” — J. Jefferson Farjeon", "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": "J. Jefferson Farjeon", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-jefferson-farjeon/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I am not sure that I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-jefferson-farjeon/i-am-not-sure-that-i-could-explain-in-a-way-you-could-understand/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-jefferson-farjeon/i-am-not-sure-that-i-could-explain-in-a-way-you-could-understand/#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 } } ] } ```