--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The wonder of an object is that it is not…" description: "\"“The wonder of an object is that it is not a thought. A thing is first and foremost itself. An inconsequential pebble picked up on the side of the road..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f34/john-o-donohue-1919_change-things_the-wonder-of-an-object-is-that-it-is-no_453585.jpg" --- # The wonder of an object is that it is not a thought. A… ![“The wonder of an object is that it is not a thought. A thing is first and foremost itself. An inconsequential pebble picked up on the side of the road has preceded us by anything up to four hundred million years, and its face will be brightened still further by rain that will fall here thousands…” quote by John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f34/john-o-donohue-1919_change-things_the-wonder-of-an-object-is-that-it-is-no_453585.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f34/john-o-donohue-1919_change-things_the-wonder-of-an-object-is-that-it-is-no_453585.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f34/john-o-donohue-1919_change-things_the-wonder-of-an-object-is-that-it-is-no_453585.jpg) > ““The wonder of an object is that it is not a thought. A thing is first and foremost itself. An inconsequential pebble picked up on the side of the road has preceded us by anything up to four hundred million years, and its face will be brightened still further by rain that will fall here thousands of years after we have vanished. We might change things in the world, yet the most minimal, seemingly insignificant object outlasts us.”” [John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Objects exist independently of thought; even the smallest, oldest things outlast human life, reminding us of humility and continuity. **In simple terms:** Things outlast us, teaching humility. Key Takeaway Recognize the lasting value of simple things. Themes humility time nature existence Mood contemplative inspired Type poetic inspirational When to use this quote - gardening - urban planning - personal reflection - legacy building Key Concepts philosophy cosmology environmental awareness Questions to Reflect On - How does recognizing longevity of objects affect your priorities? - What simple things can you honor today? A Different Perspective Focusing on insignificance may ignore human agency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonder/) ## Related quotes > [Any object of thought is both 'more than what we think, and different'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-korzybski/any-object-of-thought-is-both-more-than-what-we-think-and-different/) [Alfred Korzybski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-korzybski/) > [Thought is not what inhabits a certain conduct and gives it its meaning; rather, it is what allows one to step back from this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-foucault/thought-is-not-what-inhabits-a-certain-conduct-and-gives-it-its/) [Michel Foucault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-foucault/) > [“It must be nice, Queenie thought, to be one thing or another, to know where you belonged.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-korda/it-must-be-nice-queenie-thought-to-be-one-thing-or-another-to-know/) [Michael Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-korda/) > [The thought is not the thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/the-thought-is-not-the-thing/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [“It was funny, Grey thought. Not funny ha-ha but funny strange, the whole idea of time. He’d thought it was one thing but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-cronin/it-was-funny-grey-thought-not-funny-ha-ha-but-funny-strange-the-whole/) [Justin Cronin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-cronin/) > [But the thought is one thing, the deed is another, and another yet is the image of the deed. The wheel of causality does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/but-the-thought-is-one-thing-the-deed-is-another-and-another-yet-is/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“Why have I not genius to start some new thought? Some thing that will surprise the world?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/why-have-i-not-genius-to-start-some-new-thought-some-thing-that-will/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [What is the source of all this trouble? I'm saying that the source is basically in thought. Many people would think that such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bohm/what-is-the-source-of-all-this-trouble-i-m-saying-that-the-source-is/) [David Bohm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bohm/) > [A thought is a thing as real as a cannonball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-joubert/a-thought-is-a-thing-as-real-as-a-cannonball/) [Joseph Joubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-joubert/) > [But thought is one thing, the deed is another, and the image of the deed still another: the wheel of causality does not roll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/but-thought-is-one-thing-the-deed-is-another-and-the-image-of-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“I had chosen the dead rather than the living, the thing thought rather than the thing thinking!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/i-had-chosen-the-dead-rather-than-the-living-the-thing-thought-rather/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Growing up, I never thought about the thing called money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-wolf/growing-up-i-never-thought-about-the-thing-called-money/) [Patrick Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-wolf/) > [Perhaps I should not have been a fisherman, he thought. But that was the thing that I was born for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/perhaps-i-should-not-have-been-a-fisherman-he-thought-but-that-was/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [I have Dalinian thought: the one thing the world will never have enough of is the outrageous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvador-dali/i-have-dalinian-thought-the-one-thing-the-world-will-never-have/) [Salvador Dali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvador-dali/) > [It's while writing that suddenly a point of view appears: 'So, that's what I really thought about this thing'. Then it feels part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amelie-nothomb/it-s-while-writing-that-suddenly-a-point-of-view-appears-so-that-s/) [Amelie Nothomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amelie-nothomb/) ## More by John O'Donohue > [I always was kind of on the edge of the church when I was fully in it , cos I was always asking the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/i-always-was-kind-of-on-the-edge-of-the-church-when-i-was-fully-in-it/) [John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/) > [Real friendship or love is not manufactured or achieved by an act of will or intention. Friendship is always an act of recognition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/real-friendship-or-love-is-not-manufactured-or-achieved-by-an-act-of/) [John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/) > [It is lovely to meet an old person whose face is deeply lined, a face that has been deeply inhabited, to look in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/it-is-lovely-to-meet-an-old-person-whose-face-is-deeply-lined-a-face/) [John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/) > [“For Someone Awakening To The Trauma of His or Her Past: For everything under the sun there is a time. 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The only effective way to still its unease is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/if-you-try-to-avoid-or-remove-the-awkward-quality-it-will-pursue-you/) [John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/) > [A friend is a loved one who awakens your life in order to free the wild possibilities within you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/a-friend-is-a-loved-one-who-awakens-your-life-in-order-to-free-the/) [John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/) > [“There is a poetic import to the phrase ‘without a shadow of a doubt’: in all probability, there is no doubt without a shadow.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/there-is-a-poetic-import-to-the-phrase-without-a-shadow-of-a-doubt-in/) [John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/) > [If you allow yourself to be the person you are then everything will come into rhythm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/if-you-allow-yourself-to-be-the-person-you-are-then-everything-will/) [John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/) > [Much of the stress and emptiness that haunt us can be traced back to our lack of attention to beauty. Internally, the mind becomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/much-of-the-stress-and-emptiness-that-haunt-us-can-be-traced-back-to/) [John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/) > [Consumerism is the worship of the god of quantity; advertising is its liturgy. Advertising is schooling in false longing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/consumerism-is-the-worship-of-the-god-of-quantity-advertising-is-its/) [John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/) > [Inspiration is always a surprising visitor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/inspiration-is-always-a-surprising-visitor/) [John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/) > [Thought is an amazing thing: it can be a mirror, a lens, a bridge, a wall, a window, a ladder or a house. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/thought-is-an-amazing-thing-it-can-be-a-mirror-a-lens-a-bridge-a-wall/) [John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/) > [ We \[humans\] are the only creatures who are in-between. We're of the earth, but don't belong to it, because we strain after the heavens;… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/we-humans-are-the-only-creatures-who-are-in-between-we-re-of-the/) [John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/) [Explore all 198 John O'Donohue quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/) ## More Change things quotes > [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 > [“I’m not saying Jesus won’t come back; I’ve just decided I can’t keep hoping to be rescued from my life. Maybe it’s up to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-hartzler/i-m-not-saying-jesus-won-t-come-back-i-ve-just-decided-i-can-t-keep/) [Aaron Hartzler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-hartzler/) > [What really distinguishes this generation in all countries from earlier generations ... is its determination to act, its joy in action, the assurance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/what-really-distinguishes-this-generation-in-all-countries-from/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [“why would white dudes want to change things when they held all the cards?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/why-would-white-dudes-want-to-change-things-when-they-held-all-the/) [Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/) > [“Gandhi is best remembered for his adherence to the principle of nonviolence; but no less important was his adherence to non-demonization. Even when he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-truett-anderson/gandhi-is-best-remembered-for-his-adherence-to-the-principle-of/) [Walter Truett Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-truett-anderson/) > [Simply having rules does not change the things that people want to do. You have to change incentives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/simply-having-rules-does-not-change-the-things-that-people-want-to-do/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [I used to believe that prayer changes things, but now I believe that prayer changes us and we change things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-used-to-believe-that-prayer-changes-things-but-now-i-believe-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You cannot change the things, so you don't need to stress if you're going to change them. So why complain? It looks so simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrey-rublev/you-cannot-change-the-things-so-you-don-t-need-to-stress-if-you-re/) [Andrey Rublev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrey-rublev/) > [I'm always trying to change things - change my character, change my look, change my hair, change my facial hair, change my costumes, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-jericho/i-m-always-trying-to-change-things-change-my-character-change-my-look/) [Chris Jericho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-jericho/) > [When something doesn't go your way, never lose hope in Allah. That faith could be just enough for Him to change things around for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-something-doesn-t-go-your-way-never-lose-hope-in-allah-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you're a black superhero, you can't erase the notion that you're black. If you're black, living in the community, and you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheo-hodari-coker/when-you-re-a-black-superhero-you-can-t-erase-the-notion-that-you-re/) [Cheo Hodari Coker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheo-hodari-coker/) > [It's crazy how much time can change things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alaska/it-s-crazy-how-much-time-can-change-things/) [Alaska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alaska/) > [The point of the essay is to change things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-tufte/the-point-of-the-essay-is-to-change-things/) [Edward Tufte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-tufte/) > [“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them. Try to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-may-not-control-all-the-events-that-happen-to-you-but-you-can/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) Browse all 661 Change things quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The wonder of an object is that it is not a thought. A thing is first and foremost itself. An inconsequential pebble picked up on the side of the road has preceded us by anything up to four hundred million years, and its face will be brightened still further by rain that will fall here thousands of years after we have vanished. 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