--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You cannot see the past that did not…" description: "\"You cannot see the past that did not happen any more than you can foresee the future.\" — Madeleine L'Engle" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/906/madeleine-l-engle-345_future_you-cannot-see-the-past-that-did-not-hap_607479.png" --- # You cannot see the past that did not happen any more than… ![“You cannot see the past that did not happen any more than you can foresee the future.” quote by Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/906/madeleine-l-engle-345_future_you-cannot-see-the-past-that-did-not-hap_607479.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/906/madeleine-l-engle-345_future_you-cannot-see-the-past-that-did-not-hap_607479.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/906/madeleine-l-engle-345_future_you-cannot-see-the-past-that-did-not-hap_607479.png) > “You cannot see the past that did not happen any more than you can foresee the future.” [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote reflects that only events that occur can be known, and future events are unknowable. **In simple terms:** Only actual events are known; future is unknown. Key Takeaway Accept uncertainty and focus on present. Themes time knowledge uncertainty Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - planning - decision making - historical analysis Key Concepts philosophy causality Questions to Reflect On - How do you handle unknown outcomes? - Can we learn from imagined pasts? A Different Perspective Future predictions can be misleading. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Regret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [I do not want to foresee the future. I am concerned with taking care of the present. God has given me no control over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-foresee-the-future-i-am-concerned-with-taking-care/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past; for human events ever resemble those of preceding times. This arises from the fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/whoever-wishes-to-foresee-the-future-must-consult-the-past-for-human/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [When my job was attempting to predict future economic developments for the Shell oil company, I was frequently reminded of an Arabic saying: 'Those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-cable/when-my-job-was-attempting-to-predict-future-economic-developments/) [Vince Cable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-cable/) > [Wise men say, and not without reason, that whosoever wished to foresee the future might consult the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/wise-men-say-and-not-without-reason-that-whosoever-wished-to-foresee/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [But man postpones or remembers; he does not live in the present, but with reverted eye laments the past, or, heedless of the riches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/but-man-postpones-or-remembers-he-does-not-live-in-the-present-but/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [If men could foresee the future, they would still behave as they do now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russian-proverb/if-men-could-foresee-the-future-they-would-still-behave-as-they-do-now/) Russian Proverb > [Look back over the past, with its changing empires that rose and fell, and you can foresee the future, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/look-back-over-the-past-with-its-changing-empires-that-rose-and-fell/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [If we wish to foresee the future of mathematics, our proper course is to study the history and present condition of the science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/if-we-wish-to-foresee-the-future-of-mathematics-our-proper-course-is/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [The people who say the past is that past are the people who cry themselves to sleep about what the past did to them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-mohr/the-people-who-say-the-past-is-that-past-are-the-people-who-cry/) Cody Mohr > [“They had a past together. Did it rule out a future?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-carlisle/they-had-a-past-together-did-it-rule-out-a-future/) [Lisa Carlisle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-carlisle/) > [“We had not meant our choice to cut us off from our past, but it did. We had only the present and the future…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-chevalier/we-had-not-meant-our-choice-to-cut-us-off-from-our-past-but-it-did-we/) [Tracy Chevalier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-chevalier/) > [“We never look at people with the eye of God instead we look at them from their past, what they did wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patience-johnson/we-never-look-at-people-with-the-eye-of-god-instead-we-look-at-them/) [Patience Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patience-johnson/) > [At times in the past, the U.S. did not restrict the number of immigrants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-hawkins/at-times-in-the-past-the-u-s-did-not-restrict-the-number-of-immigrants/) [Jeff Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hawkins/) > [“The Past is what it was and did what its done…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-wallowingbull/the-past-is-what-it-was-and-did-what-its-done/) Isaiah Wallowingbull > [You must never regret what might have been. The past that did not happen is as hidden from us as the future we cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-martin-stern/you-must-never-regret-what-might-have-been-the-past-that-did-not/) Richard Martin Stern ## More by Madeleine L'Engle > [“One of the hardest lessons I have to learn is how not to be judgmental about people who are judgmental. When I see how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/one-of-the-hardest-lessons-i-have-to-learn-is-how-not-to-be/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [Inspiration more often comes during the work than before it, because the largest part of the job of an artist is to listen to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/inspiration-more-often-comes-during-the-work-than-before-it-because/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/you-have-to-write-the-book-that-wants-to-be-written-and-if-the-book/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [Severe illness isolates those in close contact with it, because it inevitably narrows the focus of concern. To a certain extent this can lead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/severe-illness-isolates-those-in-close-contact-with-it-because-it/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [Goodness has never been a guarantee of safety.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/goodness-has-never-been-a-guarantee-of-safety/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [“Faith is what makes life bearable, with all its tragedies and ambiguities and sudden, startling joys.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/faith-is-what-makes-life-bearable-with-all-its-tragedies-and/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [“Instead of rejoicing in this glorious “impossible” which gives meaning and dignity to our lives, we try to domesticate God, to make his mighty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/instead-of-rejoicing-in-this-glorious-impossible-which-gives-meaning/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [I have never lived before...Until this summer, I did not know what it was to be alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/i-have-never-lived-before-until-this-summer-i-did-not-know-what-it/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [On the other side of pain, there is still love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/on-the-other-side-of-pain-there-is-still-love/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [“To love is to be vulnerable; and it is only in vulnerability and risk—not safety and security—that we overcome darkness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/to-love-is-to-be-vulnerable-and-it-is-only-in-vulnerability-and-risk/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [“IT was the most horrible, the most repellent thing she had ever seen, far more nauseating then anything she had ever imagined with her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/it-was-the-most-horrible-the-most-repellent-thing-she-had-ever-seen/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [I feel as though I'm not breathing when I'm out of his presence. He's the oxygen in my air, the sun in my universe,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/i-feel-as-though-i-m-not-breathing-when-i-m-out-of-his-presence-he-s/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [Rather than feeling lost and unimportant and meaningless, set against galaxies which go beyond the reach of the furthest telescopes, I feel that my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/rather-than-feeling-lost-and-unimportant-and-meaningless-set-against/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [My husband is my most ruthless critic... sometimes he will say, 'It's been said better before.' Of course it has. It's all been said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/my-husband-is-my-most-ruthless-critic-sometimes-he-will-say-it-s-been/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [If we aren't capable of being hurt we aren't capable of feeling joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/if-we-aren-t-capable-of-being-hurt-we-aren-t-capable-of-feeling-joy/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) [Explore all 660 Madeleine L'Engle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) ## More Future quotes > [“The future is only an indifferent void no one cares about, but the past is filled with life, and its countenance is irritating, repellent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-future-is-only-an-indifferent-void-no-one-cares-about-but-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Getting on the cover of TIME guarantees the existence of opposition in the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/getting-on-the-cover-of-time-guarantees-the-existence-of-opposition/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you can connect people, you can create the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-heiferman/if-you-can-connect-people-you-can-create-the-future/) [Scott Heiferman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-heiferman/) > [A strong, durable Puerto Rican economy will leave the island better prepared to handle future natural disasters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-campos-duffy/a-strong-durable-puerto-rican-economy-will-leave-the-island-better/) [Rachel Campos-Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-campos-duffy/) > [“We have no idea, now, of who or what the inhabitants of our future might be. In that sense, we have no future. Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gibson/we-have-no-idea-now-of-who-or-what-the-inhabitants-of-our-future/) [William Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gibson/) > [“You are destiny for greatness. Your future is in the hands of the Lord.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/you-are-destiny-for-greatness-your-future-is-in-the-hands-of-the-lord/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [I'm just always looking forwards. I spend very little time, looking backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-vaynerchuk/i-m-just-always-looking-forwards-i-spend-very-little-time-looking/) [Gary Vaynerchuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-vaynerchuk/) > [Football is my passion, and who knows where I will play in the future - you cannot foresee that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edinson-cavani/football-is-my-passion-and-who-knows-where-i-will-play-in-the-future/) [Edinson Cavani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edinson-cavani/) > [When I was 17, I broke up with my future wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kris-allen/when-i-was-17-i-broke-up-with-my-future-wife/) [Kris Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kris-allen/) > [I think everybody in the future has stopped talking to each other and we all just use emojis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-moffatt/i-think-everybody-in-the-future-has-stopped-talking-to-each-other-and/) [Scarlett Moffatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-moffatt/) > [When you continue to dwell on the past, there's no chance for a future. History repeats itself, thus, it's ok to LOOK back at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-continue-to-dwell-on-the-past-there-s-no-chance-for-a-future/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am no different from a lot of people. I am concerned for the future of my children and concerned for the future of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barnes/i-am-no-different-from-a-lot-of-people-i-am-concerned-for-the-future/) [John Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barnes/) > [Starting a new job can be nerve-racking , but it's also exciting. You're embarking on a new future, positioning yourself to write a fresh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adena-friedman/starting-a-new-job-can-be-nerve-racking-but-it-s-also-exciting-you-re/) [Adena Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adena-friedman/) [Browse all 12,349 Future quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You cannot see the past that did not happen any more than you can foresee the future.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Madeleine L'Engle" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/you-cannot-see-the-past-that-did-not-happen-any-more-than-you-can/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Future" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/you-cannot-see-the-past-that-did-not-happen-any-more-than-you-can/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/906/madeleine-l-engle-345_future_you-cannot-see-the-past-that-did-not-hap_607479.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/906/madeleine-l-engle-345_future_you-cannot-see-the-past-that-did-not-hap_607479.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/906/madeleine-l-engle-345_future_you-cannot-see-the-past-that-did-not-hap_607479.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You cannot see the past that did not happen any more than you can foresee the future.” — Madeleine L'Engle", "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": "Madeleine L'Engle", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You cannot see the past that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/you-cannot-see-the-past-that-did-not-happen-any-more-than-you-can/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/you-cannot-see-the-past-that-did-not-happen-any-more-than-you-can/#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 } } ] } ```