--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Clocks are a poor measure of time." description: "\"“Clocks are a poor measure of time.”\" — Robert Emmett" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d4/robert-emmett-92098_time_clocks-are-a-poor-measure-of-time-221943_2219436.jpg" --- # Clocks are a poor measure of time. ![“Clocks are a poor measure of time.” quote by Robert Emmett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d4/robert-emmett-92098_time_clocks-are-a-poor-measure-of-time-221943_2219436.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d4/robert-emmett-92098_time_clocks-are-a-poor-measure-of-time-221943_2219436.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d4/robert-emmett-92098_time_clocks-are-a-poor-measure-of-time-221943_2219436.jpg) > ““Clocks are a poor measure of time.”” Robert Emmett ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Argues that clocks inadequately capture the true experience of time, suggesting subjective measures. **In simple terms:** Clocks can't fully measure time. Key Takeaway Seek personal time awareness. Themes time measurement subjectivity philosophy Mood thoughtful contemplative Type clock:1 clocks:1 time:1 measure time:0 poor measure:0 clocks poor:0 When to use this quote - philosophical reflection - science discussion Key Concepts daily routines mindfulness practice Questions to Reflect On - How do you feel time passes? - What alternatives to clocks exist? A Different Perspective May overlook practical utility. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Clock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clock/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Calendars and clocks exist to measure time, but that signifies little because we all know that an hour can seem as eternity or pass…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ende/calendars-and-clocks-exist-to-measure-time-but-that-signifies-little/) [Michael Ende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ende/) > [When test scores go up, we should worry, because of how poor a measure they are of what matters, and what you typically sacrifice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfie-kohn/when-test-scores-go-up-we-should-worry-because-of-how-poor-a-measure/) [Alfie Kohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfie-kohn/) > [Attainment is a poor measure of capacity, and ignorance no proof of defect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-burt/attainment-is-a-poor-measure-of-capacity-and-ignorance-no-proof-of/) Cyril Burt > [Life holds one great but quite commonplace mystery. Though shared by each of us and known to all, seldom rates a second thought. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ende/life-holds-one-great-but-quite-commonplace-mystery-though-shared-by/) [Michael Ende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ende/) > [“In life, there is only the present moment, the now. You can't measure time the way you measure distance between two points. "Time" doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/in-life-there-is-only-the-present-moment-the-now-you-can-t-measure/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“We measure time according to the movement of countless suns; and they measure time by little machines in their little pockets. Now tell me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gibran-khalil-gibran/we-measure-time-according-to-the-movement-of-countless-suns-and-they/) [Gibran Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gibran-khalil-gibran/) > [In this world, there are two times. There is mechanical time and there is body time." "They do not keep clocks in their houses.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/in-this-world-there-are-two-times-there-is-mechanical-time-and-there/) [Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/) > [“Do days exist without calendars? Does time pass when there are no human hands left to wind the clocks?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-koch/do-days-exist-without-calendars-does-time-pass-when-there-are-no/) Howard Koch > [How loud clocks can tick when a room is empty, and one is alone!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-lowell/how-loud-clocks-can-tick-when-a-room-is-empty-and-one-is-alone/) [Amy Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-lowell/) > [ In comparing these two writers, he \[Samuel Johnson\] used this expression: "that there was as great a difference between them as between a man… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-boswell/in-comparing-these-two-writers-he-samuel-johnson-used-this-expression/) [James Boswell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-boswell/) > [I never wore a watch. I always depend on public clocks, and stores have clocks, but that is strange.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-katchor/i-never-wore-a-watch-i-always-depend-on-public-clocks-and-stores-have/) [Ben Katchor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-katchor/) > [The steward, according to custom, had stopped all the clocks. This, in the language of Narouz, said "Your stay with us is so brief,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-durrell/the-steward-according-to-custom-had-stopped-all-the-clocks-this-in/) [Lawrence Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-durrell/) > [Laws and institutions, like clocks, must occasionally be cleaned, wound up, and set to true time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/laws-and-institutions-like-clocks-must-occasionally-be-cleaned-wound/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [No measure of time with you will be enough, but we will start with froever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-cullen/no-measure-of-time-with-you-will-be-enough-but-we-will-start-with/) [Edward Cullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-cullen/) > [(I measure time by how a body sways.)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roethke/i-measure-time-by-how-a-body-sways/) [Theodore Roethke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roethke/) ## More by Robert Emmett > [“I thought I was in love, but it was only a head cold." (Humans)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-emmett/i-thought-i-was-in-love-but-it-was-only-a-head-cold-humans/) Robert Emmett Explore all 2 Robert Emmett quotes ## More Clock quotes > [Even Einstein had to rely for his time on his clock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanislaw-jerzy-lec/even-einstein-had-to-rely-for-his-time-on-his-clock/) [Stanislaw Jerzy Lec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanislaw-jerzy-lec/) > [“Time was never neutral and often felt dangerous. We either think we have all the time in the world or time moves too fast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-reay/time-was-never-neutral-and-often-felt-dangerous-we-either-think-we/) [Katherine Reay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-reay/) > [Before a clock was in the tower, Or e'er a watch was worn; I knew of night the passing hour, And prophesied the morn;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/before-a-clock-was-in-the-tower-or-e-er-a-watch-was-worn-i-knew-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A clock struck out the hour of twelve, and the bird in the hedgerow was still singing as we marched out to the roadway,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-macgill/a-clock-struck-out-the-hour-of-twelve-and-the-bird-in-the-hedgerow/) [Patrick MacGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-macgill/) > [“Time is, to put it in its most impressive and some might say poncy-sounding form, my domain. I can see things that once happened,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-rayner/time-is-to-put-it-in-its-most-impressive-and-some-might-say-poncy/) [Jacqueline Rayner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-rayner/) > [Time travel offends our sense of cause and effect - but maybe the universe doesn't insist on cause and effect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-m-lerner/time-travel-offends-our-sense-of-cause-and-effect-but-maybe-the/) [Edward M. Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-m-lerner/) > [My only aim is to clock a time that everyone remembers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hima-das/my-only-aim-is-to-clock-a-time-that-everyone-remembers/) [Hima Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hima-das/) > [Time.The greatest creator, and the worst destroyer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/levi-keely/time-the-greatest-creator-and-the-worst-destroyer/) Levi Keely > [Steven Spielberg seems to have wanted to be a director from 13. He put his dog in a certain position and made him eat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-brooks/steven-spielberg-seems-to-have-wanted-to-be-a-director-from-13-he-put/) [Albert Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-brooks/) > [No life goes past so swiftly as an eventless one, no clock spins like a clock whose days are all alike.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/no-life-goes-past-so-swiftly-as-an-eventless-one-no-clock-spins-like/) [Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/) > [Those who stop marketing to save money are like those who stop a clock to save time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/those-who-stop-marketing-to-save-money-are-like-those-who-stop-a/) [Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/) > [Time is the nervous system of narration, whether factual or fictive. If it gets confused some of the minutiae of human nature are certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenway-wescott/time-is-the-nervous-system-of-narration-whether-factual-or-fictive-if/) [Glenway Wescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenway-wescott/) > [I don't know if it's just me or everyone, but the whole vibe with skiing is not so much thriving on competition against others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/picabo-street/i-don-t-know-if-it-s-just-me-or-everyone-but-the-whole-vibe-with/) [Picabo Street](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/picabo-street/) > [Time goes on, even when yer not looking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-ness/time-goes-on-even-when-yer-not-looking/) [Patrick Ness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-ness/) > [CLOCK, n. A machine of great moral value to man, allaying his concern for the future by reminding him what a lot of time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/clock-n-a-machine-of-great-moral-value-to-man-allaying-his-concern/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) [Browse all 2,738 Clock quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clock/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Clocks are a poor measure of time.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert Emmett" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-emmett/clocks-are-a-poor-measure-of-time/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Clock" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-emmett/clocks-are-a-poor-measure-of-time/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d4/robert-emmett-92098_time_clocks-are-a-poor-measure-of-time-221943_2219436.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d4/robert-emmett-92098_time_clocks-are-a-poor-measure-of-time-221943_2219436.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d4/robert-emmett-92098_time_clocks-are-a-poor-measure-of-time-221943_2219436.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Clocks are a poor measure of time.” — Robert Emmett", "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": "Robert Emmett", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-emmett/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Clocks are a poor measure of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-emmett/clocks-are-a-poor-measure-of-time/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-emmett/clocks-are-a-poor-measure-of-time/#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 } } ] } ```