--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What is possible and what is not possible…" description: "\"What is possible and what is not possible is not objectively known but is, rather, a subjective belief on the part of the author and of the reader.\" — ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36f/philip-k-dick-502_belief_what-is-possible-and-what-is-not-possibl_1695564.jpg" --- # What is possible and what is not possible is not… ![“What is possible and what is not possible is not objectively known but is, rather, a subjective belief on the part of the author and of the reader.” quote by Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36f/philip-k-dick-502_belief_what-is-possible-and-what-is-not-possibl_1695564.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36f/philip-k-dick-502_belief_what-is-possible-and-what-is-not-possibl_1695564.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36f/philip-k-dick-502_belief_what-is-possible-and-what-is-not-possibl_1695564.jpg) > “What is possible and what is not possible is not objectively known but is, rather, a subjective belief on the part of the author and of the reader.” [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Our perception of possibility is shaped by personal belief rather than objective fact. **In simple terms:** Possibility depends on belief. Key Takeaway Question your assumptions. Themes perception belief reality Mood thoughtful introspective Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - creative writing - philosophical debate - personal decision making Key Concepts subjectivity epistemology Questions to Reflect On - How do you distinguish belief from fact? - What limits your sense of what is possible? A Different Perspective Beliefs can be challenged by evidence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Known](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/known/) [Known Subjective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/known-subjective-1097984/) [Objectively Known](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/objectively-known-1097985/) [Possible Objectively](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possible-objectively-1097983/) [Reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reader/) [Statistics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/statistics/) [Subjective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subjective/) [Subjective Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subjective-belief-1097982/) ## Related quotes > [Those human groups that entertain a subjective belief in their common descent because of similarities of physical type or of customs or both, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-weber/those-human-groups-that-entertain-a-subjective-belief-in-their-common/) [Max Weber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-weber/) > [Fantasy involves that which general opinion regards as impossible; science fiction involves that which general opinion regards as possible under the right circumstances. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-gregory/fantasy-involves-that-which-general-opinion-regards-as-impossible-2/) [Daryl Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-gregory/) > [Normal is enormously susceptible to swinging with the gusts of politics and history. Disguised as scientific and fixed, it is subjective and protean. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-levine/normal-is-enormously-susceptible-to-swinging-with-the-gusts-of/) [Adam Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-levine/) > [ “In his article, Bogen concluded: “I believe \[with Wigan\] that each of us has two minds in one person. There is a host of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/in-his-article-bogen-concluded-i-believe-with-wigan-that-each-of-us/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [Should we have a leader or should we think for ourselves? Obviously the latter in principle. But-sometimes there lies a gulf between what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/should-we-have-a-leader-or-should-we-think-for-ourselves-obviously/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [Sometimes one must try anything, it is no disgrace. On the contrary, it is a sign of wisdom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/sometimes-one-must-try-anything-it-is-no-disgrace-on-the-contrary-it/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [It's not what happened but how it is told.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/it-s-not-what-happened-but-how-it-is-told/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [Can we consider the universe real, and if so, in what way?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/can-we-consider-the-universe-real-and-if-so-in-what-way/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [When we visualize something, we establish a relationship to the thing itself, not to some mere subjective representation of it inside us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medard-boss/when-we-visualize-something-we-establish-a-relationship-to-the-thing/) [Medard Boss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medard-boss/) > [Synchronicity reveals the meaningful connections between the subjective and objective world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/synchronicity-reveals-the-meaningful-connections-between-the/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) > [Art is very subjective and having to put numbers on it seems counterintuitive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mena-massoud/art-is-very-subjective-and-having-to-put-numbers-on-it-seems/) [Mena Massoud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mena-massoud/) > [I mean, the competition is really created by the buzz around the Emmys. It's a totally subjective thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-c-hall/i-mean-the-competition-is-really-created-by-the-buzz-around-the-emmys/) [Michael C. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-c-hall/) > [every subjective phenomenon is essentially connected with a single point of view, and it seems inevitable that an objective, physical theory will abandon that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-nagel/every-subjective-phenomenon-is-essentially-connected-with-a-single/) [Thomas Nagel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-nagel/) > [the deepest subjective experiences are also the most universal, because through them one reaches the universal source of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-deepest-subjective-experiences-are-also-the-most-universal/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I always believed that photography was subjective, interpretive and certainly did not represent the truth, but I did think that its status as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-ritchin/i-always-believed-that-photography-was-subjective-interpretive-and/) [Fred Ritchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-ritchin/) ## More by Philip K. Dick > [So we and our elaborately evolving computers may meet each other halfway. Someday a human being, named perhaps Fred White, may shoot a robot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/so-we-and-our-elaborately-evolving-computers-may-meet-each-other/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [Even if all life on our planet is destroyed, there must be other life somewhere which we know nothing of. It is impossible that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/even-if-all-life-on-our-planet-is-destroyed-there-must-be-other-life/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [“That is not how you do it; you do not solve one problem with another, greater problem.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/that-is-not-how-you-do-it-you-do-not-solve-one-problem-with-another/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [For each person there is a sentence—a series of words—which has the power to destroy them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/for-each-person-there-is-a-sentence-a-series-of-words-which-has-the/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [I want to write about people I love, and put them into a fictional world spun out of my own mind, not the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/i-want-to-write-about-people-i-love-and-put-them-into-a-fictional/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [Why does a man cry? he wondered. Not like a woman; not for that. Not for sentiment. A man cries over the loss of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/why-does-a-man-cry-he-wondered-not-like-a-woman-not-for-that-not-for/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [The day came. The wrath descended. Sin, guilt, and retribution? The manic psychoses of those entities we referred to as states, institutions, systems -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/the-day-came-the-wrath-descended-sin-guilt-and-retribution-the-manic/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [The church of my choice is the free, open world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/the-church-of-my-choice-is-the-free-open-world/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [“I see,' Rick said. He felt numb. Completely. Throughout his entire body.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/i-see-rick-said-he-felt-numb-completely-throughout-his-entire-body/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [“What is identity? he asked himself. Where does the act end? Nobody knows.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/what-is-identity-he-asked-himself-where-does-the-act-end-nobody-knows/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [You're killing yourself with cynicism. Your idols got taken away from you one by one and now you have nothing to give your love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/you-re-killing-yourself-with-cynicism-your-idols-got-taken-away-from/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [What scared me the most was when my father would put on the gasmask. His face would disappear... This was not a human being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/what-scared-me-the-most-was-when-my-father-would-put-on-the-gasmask/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [“A man is an angel that has become deranged, Joe Fernwright thought. Once they – all of them – had been genuine angels, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/a-man-is-an-angel-that-has-become-deranged-joe-fernwright-thought/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [“When do I see a photograph, when a reflection?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/when-do-i-see-a-photograph-when-a-reflection/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [My major preoccupation is the question, 'What is reality?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/my-major-preoccupation-is-the-question-what-is-reality/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) [Explore all 489 Philip K. Dick quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) ## More Belief quotes > [“Cine a ucis stelele? 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If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [It took me 20 years of hard training to get the physique I have today. what you need is what i had - BELIEF…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-warren/it-took-me-20-years-of-hard-training-to-get-the-physique-i-have-today/) [Branch Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-warren/) > [“Here is a fundamental difference between the man of faith and the man of unbelief. The unbeliever is 'of the world', judges everything by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-w-pink/here-is-a-fundamental-difference-between-the-man-of-faith-and-the-man/) [Arthur W. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-w-pink/) > [“She herself vacillated when it came to belief. She did not particularly believe in God. Or, rather, she didn't believe in a particular God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allegra-goodman/she-herself-vacillated-when-it-came-to-belief-she-did-not/) [Allegra Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allegra-goodman/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [“Rigid traditions capture souls prisons of spiritual thought man’s religion has captured a god grown too small and very weak.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle/rigid-traditions-capture-souls-prisons-of-spiritual-thought-man-s/) [David W Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle/) > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. 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