--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It took me a long time to understand the…" description: "\"It took me a long time to understand the relationship between ideas and between objective facts. But after I clearly understood this relationship, I di..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9fa/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe-7536_facts_it-took-me-a-long-time-to-understand-the_1840918.jpg" --- # It took me a long time to understand the relationship… ![“It took me a long time to understand the relationship between ideas and between objective facts. But after I clearly understood this relationship, I didn't fool around with other wild ideas. That is one of the main reasons why I just make my scheme as simple as possible.” quote by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9fa/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe-7536_facts_it-took-me-a-long-time-to-understand-the_1840918.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9fa/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe-7536_facts_it-took-me-a-long-time-to-understand-the_1840918.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9fa/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe-7536_facts_it-took-me-a-long-time-to-understand-the_1840918.jpg) > “It took me a long time to understand the relationship between ideas and between objective facts. But after I clearly understood this relationship, I didn't fool around with other wild ideas. That is one of the main reasons why I just make my scheme as simple as possible.” [Ludwig Mies van der Rohe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Understanding the link between ideas and facts leads to simplifying designs and avoiding unnecessary complexity. **In simple terms:** Clear ideas and facts simplify work. Key Takeaway Simplify by focusing on essential relationships. Themes design simplicity clarity Mood reflective analytical Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - product design - engineering projects - academic research - creative writing Key Concepts architectural theory systems thinking Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance simplicity with innovation? - When is complexity justified? A Different Perspective Simplicity may limit exploration of novel concepts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fool/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Ideas Objective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas-objective-2348688/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-time/) [Objective Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/objective-facts-1416494/) [Relationship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationship/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Understood Relationship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understood-relationship-2348689/) [Wild Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wild-ideas-1650439/) ## Related quotes > [Man is to be understood only in his relationship to God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/man-is-to-be-understood-only-in-his-relationship-to-god/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [“Objective facts are Nash equilibrium points in the contest of competing wills.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-e/objective-facts-are-nash-equilibrium-points-in-the-contest-of/) [E.e.e](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-e/) > [There comes a point where emotions must give way to objective facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-brooks/there-comes-a-point-where-emotions-must-give-way-to-objective-facts/) [Max Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-brooks/) > [But what is significant is that if you don't want to like and accept somebody, one excuse is as good as another. The objective…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-j-harris/but-what-is-significant-is-that-if-you-don-t-want-to-like-and-accept/) [Sydney J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-j-harris/) > [Our desire to conform is greater than our respect for objective facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-drabble/our-desire-to-conform-is-greater-than-our-respect-for-objective-facts/) [Margaret Drabble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-drabble/) > [“Wild ideas popped up again in my head. What if I quietly went over and cut off the mooring ropes on one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/knut-hamsun/wild-ideas-popped-up-again-in-my-head-what-if-i-quietly-went-over-and/) [Knut Hamsun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/knut-hamsun/) > [“There are no objective facts,” he had said. “Every report on facts is only somebody’s opinion. It is, therefore, useless to write about facts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/there-are-no-objective-facts-he-had-said-every-report-on-facts-is/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [They can make the wild ideas we come up with a reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-bennett/they-can-make-the-wild-ideas-we-come-up-with-a-reality/) [Frank Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-bennett/) > [Science requires speculation, creativity, and wild ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-fischer/science-requires-speculation-creativity-and-wild-ideas/) [Debra Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-fischer/) > [“That may be true, but it’s not the point. Designers learn to have lots of wild ideas because they know that the number one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-burnett/that-may-be-true-but-it-s-not-the-point-designers-learn-to-have-lots/) [Bill Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burnett/) > [I know it's strange, but I've always had a better time with other people's wild ideas. Coming up with my own is a deeply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-potter/i-know-it-s-strange-but-i-ve-always-had-a-better-time-with-other/) [Grace Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-potter/) > [Please God, please suh, don't let him love nobody else but me. Maybe Ah'm is uh fool, Lawd, lak dey say, but Lawd, Ah…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/please-god-please-suh-don-t-let-him-love-nobody-else-but-me-maybe-ah/) [Zora Neale Hurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/) > [There are various orders of beauty, causing men to make fools of themselves in various styles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/there-are-various-orders-of-beauty-causing-men-to-make-fools-of/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/so-the-fool-as-distinct-from-the-scoundrel-is-completely-self/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [Do I look like a fool to you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamika-leeigh/do-i-look-like-a-fool-to-you/) [Tamika-leeigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamika-leeigh/) ## More by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe > [Wherever technology reaches its real fulfillment, it transcends into architecture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/wherever-technology-reaches-its-real-fulfillment-it-transcends-into/) [Ludwig Mies van der Rohe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/) > [Nature, too, shall live its own life. We must beware not to disrupt it with the color of our houses and interior fittings. yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/nature-too-shall-live-its-own-life-we-must-beware-not-to-disrupt-it/) [Ludwig Mies van der Rohe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/) > [Let us guide our students over the road of discipline from materials, through function, to creative work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/let-us-guide-our-students-over-the-road-of-discipline-from-materials/) [Ludwig Mies van der Rohe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/) > [Just as we acquaint ourselves with materials, and just as we must understand functions, we must become familiar with the psychological and spiritual factors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/just-as-we-acquaint-ourselves-with-materials-and-just-as-we-must/) [Ludwig Mies van der Rohe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/) > [Simply by not owning three medium-sized castles in Tuscany I have saved enough money in the last forty years on insurance premiums alone to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/simply-by-not-owning-three-medium-sized-castles-in-tuscany-i-have/) [Ludwig Mies van der Rohe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/) > [The problem of architecture has always been the same throughout time. Its authentic quality is reached through its proportions, and the proportions cost nothing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/the-problem-of-architecture-has-always-been-the-same-throughout-time/) [Ludwig Mies van der Rohe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/) > [The long path from material through function to creative work has only one goal: to create order out of the desperate confusion of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/the-long-path-from-material-through-function-to-creative-work-has/) [Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/) > [Architecture begins when you place two bricks carefully together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/architecture-begins-when-you-place-two-bricks-carefully-together/) [Ludwig Mies van der Rohe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/) > [Reinforced concrete buildings are by nature skeletal buildings. No noodles nor armoured turrets. A construction of girders that carry the weight, and walls that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/reinforced-concrete-buildings-are-by-nature-skeletal-buildings-no/) [Ludwig Mies van der Rohe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/) > [Generally, I think my work has so much influence because of its reasonableness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/generally-i-think-my-work-has-so-much-influence-because-of-its/) [Ludwig Mies van der Rohe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/) > [ \[In art\], less is more. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/in-art-less-is-more/) [Ludwig Mies van der Rohe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/) > [You can use up all the slums for new development. In all the cities of the world, there are large areas of these. Also,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/you-can-use-up-all-the-slums-for-new-development-in-all-the-cities-of/) [Ludwig Mies van der Rohe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/) > [The individual is losing significance; his destiny is no longer what interests us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/the-individual-is-losing-significance-his-destiny-is-no-longer-what/) [Ludwig Mies van der Rohe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/) > [The building art is man's spatial dialogue with his environment and demonstrates how he asserts himself therein and how he masters it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/the-building-art-is-man-s-spatial-dialogue-with-his-environment-and/) [Ludwig Mies van der Rohe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/) > [You can teach students how to work; you can teach them technique - how to use reason; you can even give them a sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/you-can-teach-students-how-to-work-you-can-teach-them-technique-how/) [Ludwig Mies van der Rohe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/) [Explore all 89 Ludwig Mies van der Rohe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/) ## More Facts quotes > [It is indeed a surprising and fortunate fact that nature can be expressed by relatively low-order mathematical functions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-carnap/it-is-indeed-a-surprising-and-fortunate-fact-that-nature-can-be/) [Rudolf Carnap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-carnap/) > [So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/so-the-fool-as-distinct-from-the-scoundrel-is-completely-self/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [He bombarded me with words, of all things, apparently clueless to the fact that the predawn hours rendered me incapable of coherent thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darynda-jones/he-bombarded-me-with-words-of-all-things-apparently-clueless-to-the/) [Darynda Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darynda-jones/) > [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm Fine!, the most common LIE in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/punkinhead-abhishek/i-m-fine-the-most-common-lie-in-the-world/) [Punkinhead Abhishek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/punkinhead-abhishek/) > [The time that one gains cannot be accumulated in a storehouse; it is contradictory to want to save up existence, which, the fact is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/the-time-that-one-gains-cannot-be-accumulated-in-a-storehouse-it-is/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) > [What is history after all? History is facts which become lies in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-cocteau/what-is-history-after-all-history-is-facts-which-become-lies-in-the/) [Jean Cocteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-cocteau/) > [Don't take too much comfort in the fact that you're successful today because tomorrow could bring failure. There's no surety in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-savage/don-t-take-too-much-comfort-in-the-fact-that-you-re-successful-today/) [Michael Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-savage/) > [I am told many children block out the memory of trauma. In fact, the healing process can only truly begin when we are willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-stone/i-am-told-many-children-block-out-the-memory-of-trauma-in-fact-the/) [Phoebe Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-stone/) > [Because the truth is that gossip is as good as gospel in this town. You can save face but you won't ever save your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/because-the-truth-is-that-gossip-is-as-good-as-gospel-in-this-town/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [Truth be told from compulsive liars with a history/Everything must change 2nd chances are a mystery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-dash/truth-be-told-from-compulsive-liars-with-a-history-everything-must/) [C-DASH](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-dash/) > [We did an episode where she goes out to get a job and she gets fired because she's not good. They hire a babysitter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-heaton/we-did-an-episode-where-she-goes-out-to-get-a-job-and-she-gets-fired/) [Patricia Heaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-heaton/) > [Le biologiste passe, la grenouille reste. The biologist passes, the frog remains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rostand/le-biologiste-passe-la-grenouille-reste-the-biologist-passes-the-frog/) [Jean Rostand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rostand/) > [I guess he'll have to figure out someday that he is supposed to have this dark side, that it is part of what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-guess-he-ll-have-to-figure-out-someday-that-he-is-supposed-to-have/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [The fact -- not theory -- that evolution has occurred and the Darwinian theory as to how it occurred have become so confused in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gaylord-simpson/the-fact-not-theory-that-evolution-has-occurred-and-the-darwinian/) [George Gaylord Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gaylord-simpson/) [Browse all 19,906 Facts quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It took me a long time to understand the relationship between ideas and between objective facts. But after I clearly understood this relationship, I didn't fool around with other wild ideas. That is one of the main reasons why I just make my scheme as simple as possible.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ludwig Mies van der Rohe" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/it-took-me-a-long-time-to-understand-the-relationship-between-ideas/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Facts" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/it-took-me-a-long-time-to-understand-the-relationship-between-ideas/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9fa/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe-7536_facts_it-took-me-a-long-time-to-understand-the_1840918.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9fa/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe-7536_facts_it-took-me-a-long-time-to-understand-the_1840918.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9fa/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe-7536_facts_it-took-me-a-long-time-to-understand-the_1840918.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It took me a long time to understand the relationship between ideas and between objective facts. But after I…” — Ludwig Mies van der Rohe", "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": "Ludwig Mies van der Rohe", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It took me a long time...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/it-took-me-a-long-time-to-understand-the-relationship-between-ideas/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/it-took-me-a-long-time-to-understand-the-relationship-between-ideas/#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 } } ] } ```