--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Time, to the nation as to the individual…" description: "\"Time, to the nation as to the individual, is nothing absolute; its duration depends on the rate of thought and feeling.\" — John William Draper" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31a/john-william-draper-27492_absolutes_time-to-the-nation-as-to-the-individual_2969937.png" --- # Time, to the nation as to the individual, is nothing… ![“Time, to the nation as to the individual, is nothing absolute; its duration depends on the rate of thought and feeling.” quote by John William Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31a/john-william-draper-27492_absolutes_time-to-the-nation-as-to-the-individual_2969937.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31a/john-william-draper-27492_absolutes_time-to-the-nation-as-to-the-individual_2969937.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31a/john-william-draper-27492_absolutes_time-to-the-nation-as-to-the-individual_2969937.png) > “Time, to the nation as to the individual, is nothing absolute; its duration depends on the rate of thought and feeling.” [John William Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-draper/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Time’s perception varies with mental activity; it isn’t absolute. **In simple terms:** Time feels different based on thoughts and feelings. Key Takeaway Recognize how mindset shapes your sense of time. Themes time perception subjectivity psychology Mood contemplative thoughtful Type philosophical psychological When to use this quote - productivity - mindfulness - creative work Key Concepts philosophy cognitive science Questions to Reflect On - How does mental state affect your experience of time? - Can you control your perception of time? A Different Perspective May overlook objective constraints like deadlines. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absolutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutes/) [Clock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clock/) [Depends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depends/) [Duration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duration/) [Duration Depends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duration-depends-3298411/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [Rate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rate/) [Rate Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rate-thought-4567575/) [Thoughts and feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thoughts-and-feelings/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time Nation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-nation-671925/) ## Related quotes > [Time is nothing absolute; its duration depends on the rate of thought and feeling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-draper/time-is-nothing-absolute-its-duration-depends-on-the-rate-of-thought/) [John Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-draper/) > [There comes a time when the nation is great than an individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mwenda/there-comes-a-time-when-the-nation-is-great-than-an-individual/) [James Mwenda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mwenda/) > [We don't have time as a nation to spend all of what we do blocking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-murkowski/we-don-t-have-time-as-a-nation-to-spend-all-of-what-we-do-blocking/) [Lisa Murkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-murkowski/) > [I think a Moon base is not necessary to get to Mars, but I think it will be helpful. It would give you a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duke/i-think-a-moon-base-is-not-necessary-to-get-to-mars-but-i-think-it/) [Charles Duke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duke/) > [So you find yourself surrounded by death and horror in the world, and you escape it into lust. But lust has no duration; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/so-you-find-yourself-surrounded-by-death-and-horror-in-the-world-and/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Think not thy time short in this world, since the world itself is not long. The created world is but a small parenthesis in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/think-not-thy-time-short-in-this-world-since-the-world-itself-is-not/) [Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/) > [Death is not an event in life: we do not live to experience death. If we take eternity to mean not infinite temporal duration…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-wittgenstein/death-is-not-an-event-in-life-we-do-not-live-to-experience-death-if/) [Ludwig Wittgenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-wittgenstein/) > [If we denote excitation as an end-effect by the sign plus (+), and inhibition as end-effect by the sign minus (-), such a reflex…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-scott-sherrington/if-we-denote-excitation-as-an-end-effect-by-the-sign-plus-and/) [Charles Scott Sherrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-scott-sherrington/) > [Our greatest gain is to lose the wealth that is of such brief duration and, by comparison with eternal things, of such little worth;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/our-greatest-gain-is-to-lose-the-wealth-that-is-of-such-brief/) [Teresa of Avila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [It is not events and the things one sees and enjoys that produce happiness, but a state of mind which can endow events with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-maurois/it-is-not-events-and-the-things-one-sees-and-enjoys-that-produce/) [Andre Maurois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-maurois/) > [The Author of nature has not given laws to the universe, which, like the institutions of men, carry in themselves the elements of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-playfair/the-author-of-nature-has-not-given-laws-to-the-universe-which-like/) [John Playfair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-playfair/) > [It is well known that unemployment benefits raise unemployment durations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raj-chetty/it-is-well-known-that-unemployment-benefits-raise-unemployment/) [Raj Chetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raj-chetty/) > [What we know for sure from our work and from others' is that mice have a life span of 1,000 days, dogs have 5,000…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/what-we-know-for-sure-from-our-work-and-from-others-is-that-mice-have/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [Without morals a republic cannot subsist any length of time; they therefore who are decrying the Christian religion, whose morality is so sublime and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-carroll-of-carrollton/without-morals-a-republic-cannot-subsist-any-length-of-time-they/) [Charles Carroll of Carrollton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-carroll-of-carrollton/) > [By heaven we understand a state of happiness infinite in degree, and endless in duration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/by-heaven-we-understand-a-state-of-happiness-infinite-in-degree-and/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) ## More by John William Draper > [Science has never sought to ally herself with civil power. She has never subjected anyone to mental torment, physical torment, least of all death,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/science-has-never-sought-to-ally-herself-with-civil-power-she-has/) [John William Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-draper/) > [Is it at all surprising that the number of those who hold the opinions of the Church in light esteem should so rapidly increase?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/is-it-at-all-surprising-that-the-number-of-those-who-hold-the/) [John William Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-draper/) > [How can the Church be received as a trustworthy guide in the invisible, which falls into so many errors in the visible?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/how-can-the-church-be-received-as-a-trustworthy-guide-in-the/) [John William Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-draper/) > [So great was the preference given to sacred over profane learning that Christianity had been in existence fifteen hundred years, and had not produced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/so-great-was-the-preference-given-to-sacred-over-profane-learning/) [John William Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-draper/) > [A divine revelation must necessarily be intolerant of contradiction; it must repudiate all improvement in itself, and view with disdain that arising from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/a-divine-revelation-must-necessarily-be-intolerant-of-contradiction/) [John William Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-draper/) > [I have to deplore the systematic manner in which the literature of Europe has continued to put out of sight our obligations to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/i-have-to-deplore-the-systematic-manner-in-which-the-literature-of/) [John William Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-draper/) > [The scientific study of Nature tends not only to correct and ennoble the intellectual conceptions of man; it serves also to ameliorate his physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/the-scientific-study-of-nature-tends-not-only-to-correct-and-ennoble/) [John William Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-draper/) > [Is it not true that for every person the course of life is along the line of least resistance, and that in this the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/is-it-not-true-that-for-every-person-the-course-of-life-is-along-the/) [John William Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-draper/) > [Experimental investigation, to borrow a phrase employed by Kepler respecting the testing of hypotheses, is "a very great thief of time." Sometimes it costs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/experimental-investigation-to-borrow-a-phrase-employed-by-kepler/) [John William Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-draper/) > [In England Giordano Bruno had given lectures on the plurality of worlds, and in that country had written, in Italian, his most important works.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/in-england-giordano-bruno-had-given-lectures-on-the-plurality-of/) [John William Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-draper/) > [As to Science, she has never sought to ally herself to civil power. She has never attempted to throw odium or inflict social ruin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/as-to-science-she-has-never-sought-to-ally-herself-to-civil-power-she/) [John William Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-draper/) > [How is it that the Church produced no geometer in her autocratic reign of twelve hundred years?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/how-is-it-that-the-church-produced-no-geometer-in-her-autocratic/) [John William Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-draper/) > [Over events, we may have some control, but over the law of life's progress none.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/over-events-we-may-have-some-control-but-over-the-law-of-life-s/) [John William Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-draper/) > [Four years after the death of Justinian, A.D. 569, was born at Mecca, in Arabia the man who, of all men exercised the greatest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/four-years-after-the-death-of-justinian-a-d-569-was-born-at-mecca-in/) [John William Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-draper/) > [In early life I had felt a strong desire to devote myself to the experimental study of nature; and, happening to see a glass…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/in-early-life-i-had-felt-a-strong-desire-to-devote-myself-to-the/) [John William Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-draper/) [Explore all 20 John William Draper quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-draper/) ## More Absolutes quotes > [At the centre of the human heart is the longing for an absolute good, a longing which is always there and is never appeased…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/at-the-centre-of-the-human-heart-is-the-longing-for-an-absolute-good/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [There is no perfect justice, just as there is no absolute in ethics. But there is perfect injustice, and we know it when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/there-is-no-perfect-justice-just-as-there-is-no-absolute-in-ethics/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [If you live in a material universe where acquiring things is very important to you, then family is an absolute deterrent to maintaining that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taylor-gatto/if-you-live-in-a-material-universe-where-acquiring-things-is-very/) [John Taylor Gatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taylor-gatto/) > [ Their \[the U.S.’s\] defense budget in absolute figures is almost 25 times bigger than Russia’s. This is what in defense is referred to as… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/their-the-u-s-s-defense-budget-in-absolute-figures-is-almost-25-times/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [This separation was absolute in our original Republic. But the sky-godders do not give up easily. In the 1950s they actually got the phrase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/this-separation-was-absolute-in-our-original-republic-but-the-sky/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Conservative political opinion in America cleaves to the tradition of the judge as passive interpreter, believing that his absolute loyalty to authoritative law is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/learned-hand/conservative-political-opinion-in-america-cleaves-to-the-tradition-of/) [Learned Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/learned-hand/) > [So many times we come to Jesus in worship and ask Him for things that He already IS and has already done... What a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christy-nockels/so-many-times-we-come-to-jesus-in-worship-and-ask-him-for-things-that/) [Christy Nockels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christy-nockels/) > [Those are decisions only the Lord will make. I believe the love of God is absolute. He said he gave his son for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/those-are-decisions-only-the-lord-will-make-i-believe-the-love-of-god/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [“The Gods know what it is to be eternal, and they love to toy with mortals who use absolutes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/the-gods-know-what-it-is-to-be-eternal-and-they-love-to-toy-with/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) > [Anarchy is the stepping stone to absolute power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/anarchy-is-the-stepping-stone-to-absolute-power/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [I was asked the other day if I would be interested in the Nobel Prize, but I think that for me it would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/i-was-asked-the-other-day-if-i-would-be-interested-in-the-nobel-prize/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [The only "definitive truth" for Buddhism is the absolute negation of any one truth as the Definitive Truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/the-only-definitive-truth-for-buddhism-is-the-absolute-negation-of/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [The nature of the Absolute is neither perceptible nor imperceptible; and with phenomena it is just the same. But to one who has discovered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huangbo-xiyun/the-nature-of-the-absolute-is-neither-perceptible-nor-imperceptible/) [Huangbo Xiyun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huangbo-xiyun/) > [Joining a company is an act that calls for absolute loyalty in big matters and little ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-watson/joining-a-company-is-an-act-that-calls-for-absolute-loyalty-in-big/) [Thomas Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-watson/) > [In fine, a life of good or evil, the hope of Heaven or the despair of Hell, Faustus stands as a reminder that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-fine-a-life-of-good-or-evil-the-hope-of-heaven-or-the-despair-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 2,016 Absolutes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutes/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Time, to the nation as to the individual, is nothing absolute; its duration depends on the rate of thought and feeling.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John William Draper" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/time-to-the-nation-as-to-the-individual-is-nothing-absolute-its/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Absolutes" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/time-to-the-nation-as-to-the-individual-is-nothing-absolute-its/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31a/john-william-draper-27492_absolutes_time-to-the-nation-as-to-the-individual_2969937.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31a/john-william-draper-27492_absolutes_time-to-the-nation-as-to-the-individual_2969937.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31a/john-william-draper-27492_absolutes_time-to-the-nation-as-to-the-individual_2969937.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Time, to the nation as to the individual, is nothing absolute; its duration depends on the rate of thought…” — John William Draper", "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": "John William Draper", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-draper/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Time, to the nation as to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/time-to-the-nation-as-to-the-individual-is-nothing-absolute-its/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/time-to-the-nation-as-to-the-individual-is-nothing-absolute-its/#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 } } ] } ```