--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Anything you try to quantify can be…" description: "\"“Anything you try to quantify can be divided into any number of \"anythings,\" or become the thing - the unit - itself. And what is any number, itself, b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc4/mort-w-lumsden-39980_being_anything-you-try-to-quantify-can-be-divi_3138387.jpg" --- # Anything you try to quantify can be divided into any… ![“Anything you try to quantify can be divided into any number of "anythings," or become the thing - the unit - itself. And what is any number, itself, but just another unit of measurement? What is a 'six' but two 'threes', or three 'twos'...half a 'twelve', or just six 'ones' - which are what?…” quote by Mort W. Lumsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc4/mort-w-lumsden-39980_being_anything-you-try-to-quantify-can-be-divi_3138387.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc4/mort-w-lumsden-39980_being_anything-you-try-to-quantify-can-be-divi_3138387.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc4/mort-w-lumsden-39980_being_anything-you-try-to-quantify-can-be-divi_3138387.jpg) > ““Anything you try to quantify can be divided into any number of "anythings," or become the thing - the unit - itself. And what is any number, itself, but just another unit of measurement? What is a 'six' but two 'threes', or three 'twos'...half a 'twelve', or just six 'ones' - which are what? (attrib: F.L. Vanderson)”” [Mort W. Lumsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mort-w-lumsden/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Quantifying concepts reduces them to arbitrary units, obscuring their true nature and relationships. **In simple terms:** Numbers simplify but can mislead. Key Takeaway Beware of over‑reliance on metrics. Themes measurement abstraction interpretation Mood critical thoughtful Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - business analysis - scientific research - daily decision‑making Key Concepts philosophy mathematics semantics Questions to Reflect On - When does quantification hinder understanding? - How can we balance numbers with context? A Different Perspective Metrics may ignore qualitative nuances. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Math](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/math/) [Mathematics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematics/) ## Related quotes > [I care about how many people's lives I've positively impacted. 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The roads of regular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-buss/while-love-is-common-true-love-is-rare-and-i-believe-that-few-people/) [David Buss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-buss/) > [Man up and add a tux to your wardrobe. Just find one you like and get it well-tailored to your own measurements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/man-up-and-add-a-tux-to-your-wardrobe-just-find-one-you-like-and-get/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [It is much easier to make measurements than to know exactly what you are measuring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-w-n-sullivan/it-is-much-easier-to-make-measurements-than-to-know-exactly-what-you/) [J. W. N. Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-w-n-sullivan/) > [Learning is the measurement of knowledge before and after.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eben-pagan/learning-is-the-measurement-of-knowledge-before-and-after/) [Eben Pagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eben-pagan/) > [Measurement of life should be proportioned rather to the intensity of the experience than to its actual length.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/measurement-of-life-should-be-proportioned-rather-to-the-intensity-of/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [There was but one question he left unasked, and it vibrated between his lines: if gross miscalculations of a person's value could occur on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/there-was-but-one-question-he-left-unasked-and-it-vibrated-between/) [Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/) > [Cookery is not chemistry. It is an art. 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Spaces between deaths.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/each-of-us-has-our-own-unit-of-measurement-our-own-relativity-spaces/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [Golf is not, on the whole, a game for realists. By its exactitudes of measurements it invites the attention of perfectionists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heywood-hale-broun/golf-is-not-on-the-whole-a-game-for-realists-by-its-exactitudes-of/) Heywood Hale Broun > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) ## More by Mort W. Lumsden > [“Don't most astrophysicists now predict some "end of the line" - an end to it all? Not just the death of things, but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mort-w-lumsden/don-t-most-astrophysicists-now-predict-some-end-of-the-line-an-end-to/) [Mort W. Lumsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mort-w-lumsden/) > [“FV: Hasn't all art, in a way, submitted to words - reduced itself to the literary...admitted its failure through all the catalogues and criticism,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mort-w-lumsden/fv-hasn-t-all-art-in-a-way-submitted-to-words-reduced-itself-to-the/) [Mort W. Lumsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mort-w-lumsden/) > [“Don't you find it odd that two of the foremost symptoms of insanity are the hearing voices and talking to oneself? Is it any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mort-w-lumsden/don-t-you-find-it-odd-that-two-of-the-foremost-symptoms-of-insanity/) [Mort W. Lumsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mort-w-lumsden/) > [“There's actually a sort of comfort in the belief that things can only get worse. 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Lumsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mort-w-lumsden/) > [“Isn't one of the first lessons of good elocution that there's nothing one can say in any rambling, sprawling rant that can't, through some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mort-w-lumsden/isn-t-one-of-the-first-lessons-of-good-elocution-that-there-s-nothing/) [Mort W. Lumsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mort-w-lumsden/) > [“The problem with living forever, of course, is you have to live forever before you know you're immortal...or invincible. Even the gods, in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mort-w-lumsden/the-problem-with-living-forever-of-course-is-you-have-to-live-forever/) [Mort W. Lumsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mort-w-lumsden/) > [“FV: Annandale defines 'definition' as "an explanation of the signification of a term." Yet Oxford, on the other hand, defines it as "a statement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mort-w-lumsden/fv-annandale-defines-definition-as-an-explanation-of-the/) [Mort W. Lumsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mort-w-lumsden/) > [“Those who can't, and can't teach, translate. (attrib: F.L. Vanderson)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mort-w-lumsden/those-who-can-t-and-can-t-teach-translate-attrib-f-l-vanderson/) [Mort W. Lumsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mort-w-lumsden/) [Explore all 11 Mort W. Lumsden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mort-w-lumsden/) ## More Being quotes > [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [I love being in Malibu. It's so cool there, and the water is just, it's nice and, and I love the beach. And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-evancho/i-love-being-in-malibu-it-s-so-cool-there-and-the-water-is-just-it-s/) [Jackie Evancho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-evancho/) > [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/) [Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/) > [I love to fish. I love the peacefulness of being around the water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evonne-goolagong-cawley/i-love-to-fish-i-love-the-peacefulness-of-being-around-the-water/) [Evonne Goolagong Cawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evonne-goolagong-cawley/) > [When you're in your twenties and starting out, the problem is that you care about being cool. Being older, I can care less about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-righton/when-you-re-in-your-twenties-and-starting-out-the-problem-is-that-you/) [James Righton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-righton/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [Being a new mother is a blessing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phaedra-parks/being-a-new-mother-is-a-blessing/) [Phaedra Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phaedra-parks/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [If we accept being talked to any kind of a way, then we are telling ourselves we are not quite worth the best. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/if-we-accept-being-talked-to-any-kind-of-a-way-then-we-are-telling/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Having small children and being an investigative reporter would seem like a difficult mix, but it worked well for me. I was often working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-abramson/having-small-children-and-being-an-investigative-reporter-would-seem/) [Jill Abramson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-abramson/) > [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [We should not live in fear, we should all enjoy being able to express our views freely and openly, challenge each other on issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tan-cheng-bock/we-should-not-live-in-fear-we-should-all-enjoy-being-able-to-express/) [Tan Cheng Bock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tan-cheng-bock/) [Browse all 18,139 Being quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Anything you try to quantify can be divided into any number of \"anythings,\" or become the thing - the unit - itself. And what is any number, itself, but just another unit of measurement? 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