--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Boundary lines, of any type, are never…" description: "\"Boundary lines, of any type, are never found in the real world itself, but only in the imagination of the mapmakers.\" — Ken Wilber" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b2/ken-wilber-1886_boundaries_boundary-lines-of-any-type-are-never-fou_377651.jpg" --- # Boundary lines, of any type, are never found in the real… ![“Boundary lines, of any type, are never found in the real world itself, but only in the imagination of the mapmakers.” quote by Ken Wilber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b2/ken-wilber-1886_boundaries_boundary-lines-of-any-type-are-never-fou_377651.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b2/ken-wilber-1886_boundaries_boundary-lines-of-any-type-are-never-fou_377651.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b2/ken-wilber-1886_boundaries_boundary-lines-of-any-type-are-never-fou_377651.jpg) > “Boundary lines, of any type, are never found in the real world itself, but only in the imagination of the mapmakers.” [Ken Wilber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wilber/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Boundaries are mental constructs, not physical realities, created by those who map reality. **In simple terms:** Boundaries exist only in our imagination, not in the world. Key Takeaway Recognize the fluidity of perceived limits. Themes philosophy ontology psychology systems theory mapmaking Mood reflective analytical Type philosophical theoretical When to use this quote - strategic planning - personal development - conflict resolution - design thinking Key Concepts subjectivity conceptual frameworks reality perception Questions to Reflect On - How do you challenge your own mental maps? - When might fixed boundaries be useful? A Different Perspective Rigid boundaries can limit innovation and adaptability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Boundaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boundaries/) [Boundary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boundary/) [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [Real world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-world/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“When entering a new relationship, set solid boundary lines and do not allow yourself to leap over them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asa-don-brown/when-entering-a-new-relationship-set-solid-boundary-lines-and-do-not/) [Asa Don Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asa-don-brown/) > [While the world of reality has its limits, the world of your imagination is without boundaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/while-the-world-of-reality-has-its-limits-the-world-of-your/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [The boundary condition of the universe is that it has no boundary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/the-boundary-condition-of-the-universe-is-that-it-has-no-boundary/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [Does something which exists on the edge have no true relevance to the stable center, or does it, by being on the edge, become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-grealy/does-something-which-exists-on-the-edge-have-no-true-relevance-to-the/) [Lucy Grealy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-grealy/) > [Man, there's no boundary line to art!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-parker/man-there-s-no-boundary-line-to-art/) [Charlie Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-parker/) > [It's very difficult to know when you're crossing the boundary. I hate the word boundary because I never think about it when taking a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carine-roitfeld/it-s-very-difficult-to-know-when-you-re-crossing-the-boundary-i-hate/) [Carine Roitfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carine-roitfeld/) > [“A healthy boundary creates controlled vulnerability.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pia-mellody/a-healthy-boundary-creates-controlled-vulnerability/) Pia Mellody > [No one can cross the boundary into another -- for the simple reason that no one can gain access to himself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/no-one-can-cross-the-boundary-into-another-for-the-simple-reason-that/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [A boundary is not that at which something stops, but that from which something begins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-heidegger/a-boundary-is-not-that-at-which-something-stops-but-that-from-which/) [Martin Heidegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-heidegger/) > [“Setting a boundary” means protecting your joy and well-being by telling someone to stop a harmful behavior. Practice setting a boundary try saying: “I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-martin/setting-a-boundary-means-protecting-your-joy-and-well-being-by/) [Lauren Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-martin/) > [“You can only exceed your limits if you’ve discovered them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roel-van-sleeuwen/you-can-only-exceed-your-limits-if-you-ve-discovered-them/) Roel van Sleeuwen > [Boundary, n. In political geography, an imaginary line between two nations, separating the imaginary rights of one from the imaginary rights of another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/boundary-n-in-political-geography-an-imaginary-line-between-two/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [Only if you reach the boundary will the boundary recede before you. And if you don't, if you confine your efforts, the boundary will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-nibley/only-if-you-reach-the-boundary-will-the-boundary-recede-before-you/) [Hugh Nibley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-nibley/) > [The boundary of man is moderation. When once we pass that pale our guardian angel quits his charge of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-feltham/the-boundary-of-man-is-moderation-when-once-we-pass-that-pale-our/) [Owen Feltham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-feltham/) > [It is indeed the boundary of life, beyond which we are not to pass; which the law of nature has pitched for a limit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/it-is-indeed-the-boundary-of-life-beyond-which-we-are-not-to-pass/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) ## More by Ken Wilber > [A language possesses utility only insofar as it can construct conventional boundaries. A language of no boundaries is no language at all, and thus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/a-language-possesses-utility-only-insofar-as-it-can-construct/) [Ken Wilber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wilber/) > [Gaia's main problems are not industrialization, ozone depletion, overpopulation, or resource depletion. Gaia's main problem is the lack of mutual understanding and mutual agreement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/gaia-s-main-problems-are-not-industrialization-ozone-depletion/) [Ken Wilber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wilber/) > [If Spirit has any meaning, it must be omnipresent, or all-pervading and all-encompassing. There can't be a place where Spirit is not, or it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/if-spirit-has-any-meaning-it-must-be-omnipresent-or-all-pervading-and/) [Ken Wilber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wilber/) > [Evolution occurs in the world of time and space and form, whereas Spirit's primordial nature is finally timeless and Formless, prior to the of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/evolution-occurs-in-the-world-of-time-and-space-and-form-whereas/) [Ken Wilber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wilber/) > [The most striking feature of the perennial philosophy/psychology is that it presents being and consciousness as a hierarchy of dimensional levels, moving from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/the-most-striking-feature-of-the-perennial-philosophy-psychology-is/) [Ken Wilber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wilber/) > [Is this a topic whose time has truly come? The integration of science and religion? Or have I just written a clever book that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/is-this-a-topic-whose-time-has-truly-come-the-integration-of-science/) [Ken Wilber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wilber/) > [In other words, the real problem is not exterior. The real problem is interior. The real problem is how to get people to internally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/in-other-words-the-real-problem-is-not-exterior-the-real-problem-is/) [Ken Wilber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wilber/) > [Authentic spirituality... does not render the self content, it renders it undone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/authentic-spirituality-does-not-render-the-self-content-it-renders-it/) [Ken Wilber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wilber/) > [When it comes to spiritual teachers, there are those safe, gentle, consoling, soothing, caring; and there are the outlaws, the living terrors, the Rude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/when-it-comes-to-spiritual-teachers-there-are-those-safe-gentle/) [Ken Wilber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wilber/) > [Conscious means "having an awareness of one's inner and outer worlds; mentally perceptive, awake, mindful." So "conscious business" might mean, engaging in an occupation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/conscious-means-having-an-awareness-of-one-s-inner-and-outer-worlds/) [Ken Wilber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wilber/) > [I believe that evidence shows that there is a real spirit, a real Beach, but it is beneath no pavement whatsoever, for all pavements…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/i-believe-that-evidence-shows-that-there-is-a-real-spirit-a-real/) [Ken Wilber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wilber/) > [Furthermore, it is not that Spirit is present but you need to be enlightened in order to see it. It is not that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/furthermore-it-is-not-that-spirit-is-present-but-you-need-to-be/) [Ken Wilber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wilber/) > [Authentic spirituality is revolutionary. It does not legitimate the world, it breaks the world; it does not console the world, it shatters it. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/authentic-spirituality-is-revolutionary-it-does-not-legitimate-the/) [Ken Wilber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wilber/) > [What's my philosophy? In a word, integral. And what on earth — or in heaven — do I mean by integral? The dictionary meaning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/what-s-my-philosophy-in-a-word-integral-and-what-on-earth-or-in/) [Ken Wilber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wilber/) > [Matter begins evolving back to Spirit and, when it's reached, the whole process begins over again for the billionth time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/matter-begins-evolving-back-to-spirit-and-when-it-s-reached-the-whole/) [Ken Wilber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wilber/) [Explore all 200 Ken Wilber quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wilber/) ## More Boundaries quotes > [I think the next 50 years are going to present the human race with challenges that so far exceed the limitations of geopolitical boundaries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-quinto/i-think-the-next-50-years-are-going-to-present-the-human-race-with/) [Zachary Quinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-quinto/) > [A man could be a lover and defender of the wilderness without ever in his lifetime leaving the boundaries of asphalt, powerlines, and right-angled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/a-man-could-be-a-lover-and-defender-of-the-wilderness-without-ever-in/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [God's Word does provide life lessons to teach us how to live. And it gives us beautiful poetry that gives voice to our human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-rothschild/god-s-word-does-provide-life-lessons-to-teach-us-how-to-live-and-it/) [Jennifer Rothschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-rothschild/) > [While the world of reality has its limits, the world of your imagination is without boundaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/while-the-world-of-reality-has-its-limits-the-world-of-your/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [There's always that discussion about fiction about how do you market it - these are books for boys, these are books for girls, these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-a-weatherly/there-s-always-that-discussion-about-fiction-about-how-do-you-market/) [L.A. Weatherly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-a-weatherly/) > [... informed ignorance provides the natural state of mind for research scientists at the ever-shifting frontiers of knowledge. People who believe themselves ignorant of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/informed-ignorance-provides-the-natural-state-of-mind-for-research/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [I never go anywhere or do anything that transports me outside the boundaries of my mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/i-never-go-anywhere-or-do-anything-that-transports-me-outside-the/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [As a kid, in the Runaways, I would see the interviewers start to ask about our personal lives and what we did — and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-jett/as-a-kid-in-the-runaways-i-would-see-the-interviewers-start-to-ask/) [Joan Jett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-jett/) > [Understanding science and pushing the boundaries of science is what makes me immensely satisfied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/understanding-science-and-pushing-the-boundaries-of-science-is-what/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [A language possesses utility only insofar as it can construct conventional boundaries. A language of no boundaries is no language at all, and thus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/a-language-possesses-utility-only-insofar-as-it-can-construct/) [Ken Wilber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wilber/) > [“Let us not subside into a single mandatory way of thinking or feeling, immersed by a spirit of self-gratification. But let’s dig into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-pevernagie/let-us-not-subside-into-a-single-mandatory-way-of-thinking-or-feeling/) [Erik Pevernagie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-pevernagie/) > [The question of boundaries is a major question of the Jewish people because the Jews are the great experts of crossing boundaries. They have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-b-yehoshua/the-question-of-boundaries-is-a-major-question-of-the-jewish-people/) [A. B. Yehoshua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-b-yehoshua/) > [Working against a restriction - for me - often produces greater things than getting rid of all boundaries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lord/working-against-a-restriction-for-me-often-produces-greater-things/) [Jon Lord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lord/) > [That's what all art's about - a sense of moving away from boundaries that you can't in real life. Like a dancer is always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-bush/that-s-what-all-art-s-about-a-sense-of-moving-away-from-boundaries/) [Kate Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-bush/) > [The boundaries between contemporary art and cinema are so rigid. It's unbelievable. The film critics don't know my artwork and the art world doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/the-boundaries-between-contemporary-art-and-cinema-are-so-rigid-it-s/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) [Browse all 2,012 Boundaries quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boundaries/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Boundary lines, of any type, are never found in the real world itself, but only in the imagination of the mapmakers.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ken Wilber" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/boundary-lines-of-any-type-are-never-found-in-the-real-world-itself/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Boundaries" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/boundary-lines-of-any-type-are-never-found-in-the-real-world-itself/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b2/ken-wilber-1886_boundaries_boundary-lines-of-any-type-are-never-fou_377651.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b2/ken-wilber-1886_boundaries_boundary-lines-of-any-type-are-never-fou_377651.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b2/ken-wilber-1886_boundaries_boundary-lines-of-any-type-are-never-fou_377651.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Boundary lines, of any type, are never found in the real world itself, but only in the imagination of the…” — Ken Wilber", "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": "Ken Wilber", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wilber/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Boundary lines, of any type, are...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/boundary-lines-of-any-type-are-never-found-in-the-real-world-itself/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/boundary-lines-of-any-type-are-never-found-in-the-real-world-itself/#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 } } ] } ```