Clear Quote by Robert Morrison MacIver
“We are apt to think we know what time is because we can measure it, but no sooner do we reflect upon it than that illusion goes. So it appears that the range of the measureable is not the range of the knowable. There are things we can measure, like time, but yet our minds do not grasp their meaning. There are things we cannot measure, like happiness or pain, and yet their meaning is perfectly clear to us.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: "The Nature of Time and Knowledge", 1930
Our ability to measure time creates an illusion of understanding, yet many measurable things remain conceptually elusive, while immeasurable experiences like happiness are clearly understood.
In simple terms: Measuring doesn’t equal truly knowing; feelings are known without measurement.
Key Takeaway
Recognize limits of measurement in grasping meaning.
Themes
philosophy
epistemology
perception
Mood
contemplative
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
reflective
When to use this quote
- scientific research
- daily decision making
- emotional intelligence
Key Concepts
measurement
subjectivity
experience
Questions to Reflect On
- What aspects of life resist quantification?
- How can we value non‑measurable experiences?
A Different Perspective
Quantifying can miss deeper insights.
![“We have no clear ideas of the agency of [demonic] spirits, nor is it necessary. The Scripture says little to satisfy our curiosity; but tells us plainly that he is always watching us, and desiring to sift us as wheat. I believe we give him no more than his due, when we charge him with having a…” quote by John Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c75/john-newton-6629_abundance_we-have-no-clear-ideas-of-the-agency-of_2907.jpg)
