Elements Quote by Quentin S. Crisp
![“This is the strange thing about existing in time. As [Philip] Larkin puts it, "truly, though our element is time, we are not used to the strange perspectives open at each moment of our lives" - something like that.” quote by Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/351/quentin-s-crisp-4149_elements_this-is-the-strange-thing-about-existing_83503.jpg)
“This is the strange thing about existing in time. As [Philip] Larkin puts it, "truly, though our element is time, we are not used to the strange perspectives open at each moment of our lives" - something like that.”
About This Quote
The quote reflects on how humans, despite being temporal beings, rarely recognize the shifting viewpoints that each moment offers.
In simple terms: Time changes perspective.
Key Takeaway
Awareness of temporal perspective shifts.
Themes
temporality
perception
philosophy
human experience
change
Mood
contemplative
thoughtful
Type
aphorism
philosophical observation
When to use this quote
- personal reflection
- historical analysis
- creative writing
- psychological counseling
Key Concepts
time
subjectivity
awareness
Practical Applications
- journaling
- teaching philosophy
Questions to Reflect On
- How does recognizing temporal shifts affect decision‑making?
- What habits help us notice changing perspectives?
![“Speaking of [Philip] Larkin, in his poem about the First World War he wrote something like, "Never such innocence, before or since, that turned itself to past without a word".” quote by Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/33a/quentin-s-crisp-4149_first-world-war_speaking-of-philip-larkin-in-his-poem-ab_1423763.jpg)
![“If we do want to do that [ colonise space to survive, ], then vacuous materialism is not going to be enough for us.” quote by Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8c5/quentin-s-crisp-4149_enough_if-we-do-want-to-do-that-colonise-space_40648.jpg)
![“[william] Burroughs, incidentally, took up the slogan that we are "Here to go", which contradicts the tendency in Eastern mysticism to advocate staying where you are because there's nowhere to go anyway. I feel conflicted on this one.” quote by Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/aa0/quentin-s-crisp-4149_burroughs_william-burroughs-incidentally-took-up-t_122911.jpg)
![“I also remember a line from a song by Smog [Bill Callahan], which seems to describe the experience of a town-dweller moving to the country: "I was raised in a pit of snakes/Blink your eyes - I was raised on cake."” quote by Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/950/quentin-s-crisp-4149_bills_i-also-remember-a-line-from-a-song-by-sm_299534.jpg)
![“I really think [William] Burroughs was onto something here, when he said, "Dreams are a biologic necessity and your lifeline into space."” quote by Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d4b/quentin-s-crisp-4149_burroughs_i-really-think-william-burroughs-was-ont_464032.jpg)
![“Geometry, which should only obey Physics, when united with it sometimes commands it. If it happens that the question which we wish to examine is too complicated for all the elements to be able to enter into the analytical comparison we wish to make, we separate the more inconvenient [elements], we…” quote by Jean le Rond d'Alembert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0d9/jean-le-rond-d-alembert-26487_able_geometry-which-should-only-obey-physics_6945.jpg)
