--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Most of us readily take things for…" description: "\"Most of us readily take things for granted that at an earlier time remained to be discovered\" — Robert A. Dahl" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68e/robert-a-dahl-45041_discovered_most-of-us-readily-take-things-for-grant_3211352.jpg" --- # Most of us readily take things for granted that at an… ![“Most of us readily take things for granted that at an earlier time remained to be discovered” quote by Robert A. Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68e/robert-a-dahl-45041_discovered_most-of-us-readily-take-things-for-grant_3211352.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68e/robert-a-dahl-45041_discovered_most-of-us-readily-take-things-for-grant_3211352.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68e/robert-a-dahl-45041_discovered_most-of-us-readily-take-things-for-grant_3211352.jpg) > “Most of us readily take things for granted that at an earlier time remained to be discovered” [Robert A. Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-dahl/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We often overlook things that were once unknown, assuming they are obvious. **In simple terms:** We ignore what was once unknown. Key Takeaway Recognize hidden assumptions. Themes awareness humility curiosity Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - daily decisions - research - teaching - innovation - policy making Key Concepts Epistemology cognitive bias Questions to Reflect On - What do you assume is obvious? - How can you uncover hidden complexities? A Different Perspective Overlooking can lead to complacency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Taking things for granted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taking-things-for-granted/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [I wish I could have known earlier that you have all the time you'll need right up to the day you die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-wish-i-could-have-known-earlier-that-you-have-all-the-time-you-ll/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Most people are alive in an earlier time, but you must be alive in our own time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/most-people-are-alive-in-an-earlier-time-but-you-must-be-alive-in-our/) [Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/) > [I should really start going to bed earlier so I have more time in the morning to be late for work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-should-really-start-going-to-bed-earlier-so-i-have-more-time-in-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I discovered that Thailand was one of those countries, like Sri Lanka and India, where memory of past lives used to be commonplace. Go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burdett/i-discovered-that-thailand-was-one-of-those-countries-like-sri-lanka/) [John Burdett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burdett/) > [I think there are steps that can be taken that haven't been required or energy to make that fight more secure and we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pataki/i-think-there-are-steps-that-can-be-taken-that-haven-t-been-required/) [George Pataki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pataki/) > [I feel like sometimes people on television shows can start taking things for granted, or they don't want to be here or something like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-ritter/i-feel-like-sometimes-people-on-television-shows-can-start-taking/) [Jason Ritter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-ritter/) > [Freedom can never be taken for granted. Each generation must safeguard it and extend it. Your parents and elders sacrificed much so that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/freedom-can-never-be-taken-for-granted-each-generation-must-safeguard/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [Gratefulness makes us aware of the gift and makes us happy. As long as we take things for granted they don't make us happy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-steindl-rast/gratefulness-makes-us-aware-of-the-gift-and-makes-us-happy-as-long-as/) [David Steindl-Rast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-steindl-rast/) > [When the magistrate says 'That's not a good enough reason my man.' He said 'Excuse me, could I ask you? Have you taken an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-holden/when-the-magistrate-says-that-s-not-a-good-enough-reason-my-man-he/) [Anthony Holden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-holden/) > [Around every corner is another gift waiting to surprise us, and it will surprise us if we can achieve control over our natural tendencies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/around-every-corner-is-another-gift-waiting-to-surprise-us-and-it/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Say a child raises this beautiful beet. It's going to give her a sense of ownership, and that changes everything. 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It's made me wonder about mortality and how long you've got somebody in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-gibb/i-don-t-take-things-for-granted-because-everything-feels-more-fragile/) [Robin Gibb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-gibb/) > [I try to make images that have the immediate presence we take for granted in objects - a chair, a shoe, a book, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-craig-martin/i-try-to-make-images-that-have-the-immediate-presence-we-take-for/) [Michael Craig-Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-craig-martin/) ## More by Robert A. Dahl > [Require... electoral votes to be allocated in proportion to the popular votes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-dahl/require-electoral-votes-to-be-allocated-in-proportion-to-the-popular/) [Robert A. Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-dahl/) > [The future of that ancient chamber remains in considerable doubt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-dahl/the-future-of-that-ancient-chamber-remains-in-considerable-doubt/) [Robert A. Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-dahl/) > [“democratic theory is concerned with processes by which ordinary citizens exert a relatively high degree of control over leaders;”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-dahl/democratic-theory-is-concerned-with-processes-by-which-ordinary/) [Robert A. Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-dahl/) > [Glorious as it had been, the city-state was obsolete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-dahl/glorious-as-it-had-been-the-city-state-was-obsolete/) [Robert A. Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-dahl/) > [As in Athens, the right to participate was restricted to men, just as it was also in all later democracies and republics until the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-dahl/as-in-athens-the-right-to-participate-was-restricted-to-men-just-as/) [Robert A. Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-dahl/) > [If democracy is justified in governing the state,then it must also be justified in governing economic enterprises, and to say that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-dahl/if-democracy-is-justified-in-governing-the-state-then-it-must-also-be/) [Robert A. Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-dahl/) > [Ironically, the very fact that democracy has such a lengthy history has actually contributed to confusion and disagreement, for 'democracy' has meant different things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-dahl/ironically-the-very-fact-that-democracy-has-such-a-lengthy-history/) [Robert A. Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-dahl/) > [Democracy, it appears, is a bit chancy. But its chances also depend on what we do ourselves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-dahl/democracy-it-appears-is-a-bit-chancy-but-its-chances-also-depend-on/) [Robert A. Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-dahl/) [Explore all 9 Robert A. Dahl quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-dahl/) ## More Discovered quotes > [When I discovered drama, I felt a connection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-fearon/when-i-discovered-drama-i-felt-a-connection/) [Ray Fearon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-fearon/) > [Music is almost like a therapy for me. It helps keep me centered and think straight. Before I discovered it, I was walking around,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banks/music-is-almost-like-a-therapy-for-me-it-helps-keep-me-centered-and/) [Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banks/) > [Especially for those of us who lived in single cells, you had the time to sit down and think, and we discovered that sitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/especially-for-those-of-us-who-lived-in-single-cells-you-had-the-time/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [I can't really remember, but I think my life must have been a lot more productive before I discovered Facebook...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-can-t-really-remember-but-i-think-my-life-must-have-been-a-lot-more/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The first time I went to Abbey Road and put those headphones on, I discovered I had two voices. I no longer had to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cilla-black/the-first-time-i-went-to-abbey-road-and-put-those-headphones-on-i/) [Cilla Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cilla-black/) > [My singing led into acting, and that is how I discovered acting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lalaine/my-singing-led-into-acting-and-that-is-how-i-discovered-acting/) [Lalaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lalaine/) > [At Ungaro, I discovered the flou and the language of Paris.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giambattista-valli/at-ungaro-i-discovered-the-flou-and-the-language-of-paris/) [Giambattista Valli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giambattista-valli/) > [“I discovered windows one afternoon and after that, nothing was ever the same.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-spollen/i-discovered-windows-one-afternoon-and-after-that-nothing-was-ever/) [Anne Spollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-spollen/) > [After years of research, I discovered 25 differences in the work-life choices of men and women. 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They are educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-rohrwacher/all-my-words-are-sort-of-shaped-all-my-words-my-voice-my-gestures-my/) [Alice Rohrwacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-rohrwacher/) > [I first discovered YouTube while browsing the web, and then I found people just talking into their cameras. I never even knew it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-oakley/i-first-discovered-youtube-while-browsing-the-web-and-then-i-found/) [Tyler Oakley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-oakley/) > [I'm a perceptive person. I know what's good and I don't venture into what's not good. I've discovered my own khazana. Everybody should.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rekha/i-m-a-perceptive-person-i-know-what-s-good-and-i-don-t-venture-into/) [Rekha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rekha/) > [When I discovered acting, I decided that's what I wanted to do above everything else. It was the first time I was passionate about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morrissey/when-i-discovered-acting-i-decided-that-s-what-i-wanted-to-do-above/) [David Morrissey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morrissey/) Browse all 653 Discovered quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Most of us readily take things for granted that at an earlier time remained to be discovered", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert A. 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