--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I remembered an unpleasant weekend spent…" description: "\"“I remembered an unpleasant weekend spent struggling to comprehend the philosopher Immanuel Kant's explanation of the difference between calling someth..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d3/mark-adams-45971_kant_i-remembered-an-unpleasant-weekend-spent_2984001.jpg" --- # I remembered an unpleasant weekend spent struggling to… ![“I remembered an unpleasant weekend spent struggling to comprehend the philosopher Immanuel Kant's explanation of the difference between calling something beautiful and calling it sublime. Nowadays, we throw around the word "sublime" to describe gooey desserts or overpriced handbags. In Kant's…” quote by Mark Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d3/mark-adams-45971_kant_i-remembered-an-unpleasant-weekend-spent_2984001.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d3/mark-adams-45971_kant_i-remembered-an-unpleasant-weekend-spent_2984001.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d3/mark-adams-45971_kant_i-remembered-an-unpleasant-weekend-spent_2984001.jpg) > ““I remembered an unpleasant weekend spent struggling to comprehend the philosopher Immanuel Kant's explanation of the difference between calling something beautiful and calling it sublime. Nowadays, we throw around the word "sublime" to describe gooey desserts or overpriced handbags. In Kant's epistemology, it meant something limitless, an aesthetically pleasing entity so huge that it made the perceiver's head hurt. Machu Picchu isn't just beautiful, it's sublime.”” [Mark Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-adams/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Kant's sublime refers to overwhelming greatness that challenges perception, unlike modern trivial uses. **In simple terms:** True sublime is vast and awe‑inspiring. Key Takeaway Seek depth over hype. Themes aesthetics philosophy culture Mood reflective critical Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - art criticism - luxury marketing - travel experiences Key Concepts Kantian epistemology beauty vs sublime Questions to Reflect On - Do you distinguish true awe from hype? - How does context shape our perception of beauty? A Different Perspective Modern usage dilutes profound meaning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immanuel-kant/) [Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kant/) [Kant Epistemology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kant-epistemology-3196108/) [Kant Explanation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kant-explanation-4654175/) [Machu picchu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/machu-picchu/) [Philosopher Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosopher-immanuel-kant-230204/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Sublime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sublime/) [Word Sublime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/word-sublime-2694197/) ## Related quotes > [So I do, of course, reject much that is central not only to the psychology of Descartes and Kant, but to their epistemology as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-kornblith/so-i-do-of-course-reject-much-that-is-central-not-only-to-the/) [Hilary Kornblith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-kornblith/) > [Whoever has had the experience of the moral sentiment cannot choose but believe in unlimited power. Each pulse from that heart isan oath from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/whoever-has-had-the-experience-of-the-moral-sentiment-cannot-choose/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [I keep thinking of Robert Stone making the distinction between the word sublime and the word beautiful. He described being in a battle as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/i-keep-thinking-of-robert-stone-making-the-distinction-between-the/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“Separating fact and fiction in Inca history is impossible, because virtually all the sources available are Spanish accounts of stories that had already been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-adams/separating-fact-and-fiction-in-inca-history-is-impossible-because/) [Mark Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-adams/) > [I did the Kilimanjaro climb a few years ago, then the six-day trek to Machu Picchu in Peru so this bike ride to raise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-van-outen/i-did-the-kilimanjaro-climb-a-few-years-ago-then-the-six-day-trek-to/) [Denise Van Outen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-van-outen/) > [The critics are like tourists who return from a trip saying they've "done" Machu Picchu: "Okay, we've done magical realism," so now we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/the-critics-are-like-tourists-who-return-from-a-trip-saying-they-ve/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [So let's not pretend that travel is always fun. We don't spend 10 hours lost in the Louvre because we like it, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lehrer/so-let-s-not-pretend-that-travel-is-always-fun-we-don-t-spend-10/) [Jonah Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lehrer/) > [The Americans only like things they can label, even if it kills them. Think of those poor Latin American writers. Some of them are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/the-americans-only-like-things-they-can-label-even-if-it-kills-them/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [“I thought, There is nowhere else in the universe I would rather be at this moment. I could count the places I would not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/i-thought-there-is-nowhere-else-in-the-universe-i-would-rather-be-at-2/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [Night falls over Machu Picchu to the sound of Abba's 'Dancing Queen'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-palin/night-falls-over-machu-picchu-to-the-sound-of-abba-s-dancing-queen/) [Michael Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-palin/) > [“We offer Peru adventure travel, Peru custom tours. We can make you the perfect tour of your dreams. Custom Peru tours for Inca Trail,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peruunbound/we-offer-peru-adventure-travel-peru-custom-tours-we-can-make-you-the/) [Peruunbound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peruunbound/) > [It’s an irritating reality that many places and events defy description. Angkor Wat and Machu Picchu, for instance, seem to demand silence, like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-bourdain/it-s-an-irritating-reality-that-many-places-and-events-defy/) [Anthony Bourdain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-bourdain/) > [All man must live in Machu Picchu for some time! Over there, you will be closer to the universe and you will realise how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/all-man-must-live-in-machu-picchu-for-some-time-over-there-you-will/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“He keeps silent for several seasons. In my mind, hundreds of questions that I don’t ask. Instead, I go to Machu Picchu, explore the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandria-ryu/he-keeps-silent-for-several-seasons-in-my-mind-hundreds-of-questions/) [Alexandria Ryu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandria-ryu/) > [When I was in my twenties and just so sexually prolific, the first time I went to Machu Picchu, this guy, a spiritual teacher,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-harrelson/when-i-was-in-my-twenties-and-just-so-sexually-prolific-the-first/) [Woody Harrelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-harrelson/) ## More by Mark Adams > [“If you've ever thought, 'The new Times Square is delightful but would be even better if it were more claustrophobic and nearly impossible to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-adams/if-you-ve-ever-thought-the-new-times-square-is-delightful-but-would/) [Mark Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-adams/) > [“So the Inca Trail isn’t just a pretty shortcut that Pachacutec took on his way to his summer home?” “Mark, you can’t finish the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-adams/so-the-inca-trail-isn-t-just-a-pretty-shortcut-that-pachacutec-took/) [Mark Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-adams/) > [“When we arrived at my home north of the city, my five-year-old son Magnus, brimming with the confidence he'd gained in two full weeks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-adams/when-we-arrived-at-my-home-north-of-the-city-my-five-year-old-son/) [Mark Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-adams/) > [“On a globe it looks like a swollen California. Within that space, though, are twenty-thousand-foot peaks, the world’s deepest canyon (twice as deep as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-adams/on-a-globe-it-looks-like-a-swollen-california-within-that-space/) [Mark Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-adams/) > [“Separating fact and fiction in Inca history is impossible, because virtually all the sources available are Spanish accounts of stories that had already been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-adams/separating-fact-and-fiction-in-inca-history-is-impossible-because/) [Mark Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-adams/) > [“I felt bad for lying to John, who was about as honest as Abe Lincoln on sodium Pentothal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-adams/i-felt-bad-for-lying-to-john-who-was-about-as-honest-as-abe-lincoln/) [Mark Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-adams/) > [“The ability to arrive uninvited in an alien land and convince one’s hosts that almost everything they believe is wrong requires a rather forceful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-adams/the-ability-to-arrive-uninvited-in-an-alien-land-and-convince-one-s/) [Mark Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-adams/) [Explore all 8 Mark Adams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-adams/) ## More Kant quotes > [“Immanuel Kant" "Noch wal”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-claus/immanuel-kant-noch-wal/) [Hugo Claus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-claus/) > [“Against Hume, Kant has found a more proper ground for humility: “True humility follows unavoidably from our sincere and exact comparison of ourselves with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanine-grenberg/against-hume-kant-has-found-a-more-proper-ground-for-humility-true/) [Jeanine Grenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanine-grenberg/) > [Kantian ethical theory distinguishes three levels: First, that of a fundamental principle (the categorical imperative, formulated in three main ways in Kant's Groundwork); second,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/kantian-ethical-theory-distinguishes-three-levels-first-that-of-a/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [ “\[Dostoyevsky\] eloquently proves that heartless ideas are often a source of immorality: they bring with them destructiveness, hatred, cynicism, and misanthropy. The novelist also… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-l-kline/dostoyevsky-eloquently-proves-that-heartless-ideas-are-often-a-source/) [George L. Kline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-l-kline/) > [“Modern man, brought up on Kantian idealism, regards nature as being no more than an outcome of the laws of the mind. Losing all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etienne-gilson/modern-man-brought-up-on-kantian-idealism-regards-nature-as-being-no/) [Étienne Gilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etienne-gilson/) > [Kant, discussing the various modes of perception by which the human mind apprehends nature, concluded that it is specially prone to see nature through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-jeans/kant-discussing-the-various-modes-of-perception-by-which-the-human/) [James Jeans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-jeans/) > [“Kant also identified idle desires with wishing and active desire with willing, and he seemed to think that one of the problems of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manfred-kuehn/kant-also-identified-idle-desires-with-wishing-and-active-desire-with/) [Manfred Kuehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manfred-kuehn/) > [My own view is that Kant's conception of the duality of the good (morality and happiness, the good of our person and the good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/my-own-view-is-that-kant-s-conception-of-the-duality-of-the-good/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [I use music as something from which I obtain some form of - I hate to use the word spiritual - guidance, an awareness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-meale/i-use-music-as-something-from-which-i-obtain-some-form-of-i-hate-to/) [Richard Meale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-meale/) > [“Socrates could enjoy a banquet now and again, and must have derived considerable satisfaction from his conversations while the hemlock was taking effect, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/socrates-could-enjoy-a-banquet-now-and-again-and-must-have-derived/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“Ik vraag me af wanneer alles verkeerd begon te lopen en of het misschien al vanaf het begin de verkeerde kant op is gegaan.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedict-wells/ik-vraag-me-af-wanneer-alles-verkeerd-begon-te-lopen-en-of-het/) [Benedict Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedict-wells/) > [I don't think Kant's theory looks bad to people except insofar as they have misunderstood it (for instance, as heartless and ironheaded, or as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/i-don-t-think-kant-s-theory-looks-bad-to-people-except-insofar-as/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [Kant, as we all know, compared moral law to the starry heavens, and found them both sublime. On the naturalistic hypothesis we should rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/kant-as-we-all-know-compared-moral-law-to-the-starry-heavens-and/) [Arthur Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-balfour/) > [Kant has been famous for his rejection of eudaimonism, but I think Kantian ethics has a great deal in common with Aristotle, and some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/kant-has-been-famous-for-his-rejection-of-eudaimonism-but-i-think/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [“the passage on dignity is an addendum to the formula of autonomy: ‘act only so that the will could regard itself as at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-sensen/the-passage-on-dignity-is-an-addendum-to-the-formula-of-autonomy-act/) [Oliver Sensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-sensen/) [Browse all 176 Kant quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kant/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I remembered an unpleasant weekend spent struggling to comprehend the philosopher Immanuel Kant's explanation of the difference between calling something beautiful and calling it sublime. Nowadays, we throw around the word \"sublime\" to describe gooey desserts or overpriced handbags. In Kant's epistemology, it meant something limitless, an aesthetically pleasing entity so huge that it made the perceiver's head hurt. Machu Picchu isn't just beautiful, it's sublime.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mark Adams" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-adams/i-remembered-an-unpleasant-weekend-spent-struggling-to-comprehend-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Kant" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-adams/i-remembered-an-unpleasant-weekend-spent-struggling-to-comprehend-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d3/mark-adams-45971_kant_i-remembered-an-unpleasant-weekend-spent_2984001.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d3/mark-adams-45971_kant_i-remembered-an-unpleasant-weekend-spent_2984001.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d3/mark-adams-45971_kant_i-remembered-an-unpleasant-weekend-spent_2984001.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I remembered an unpleasant weekend spent struggling to comprehend the philosopher Immanuel Kant's…” — Mark Adams", "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": "Mark Adams", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-adams/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I remembered an unpleasant weekend spent...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-adams/i-remembered-an-unpleasant-weekend-spent-struggling-to-comprehend-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-adams/i-remembered-an-unpleasant-weekend-spent-struggling-to-comprehend-the/#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 } } ] } ```