--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Even if you did drop into someone's…" description: "\"“Even if you did drop into someone's consciousness, you'd have all their memories and desires and hang-ups right there in front of you. And as you say,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/488/scarlett-thomas-8232_enough-time_even-if-you-did-drop-into-someone-s-cons_195915.png" --- # Even if you did drop into someone's consciousness, you'd… ![“Even if you did drop into someone's consciousness, you'd have all their memories and desires and hang-ups right there in front of you. And as you say, in an eternity you'd get the chance to know everything once enough time had passed. You'd become unable to judge anyone.' 'You'd end up being…” quote by Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/488/scarlett-thomas-8232_enough-time_even-if-you-did-drop-into-someone-s-cons_195915.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/488/scarlett-thomas-8232_enough-time_even-if-you-did-drop-into-someone-s-cons_195915.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/488/scarlett-thomas-8232_enough-time_even-if-you-did-drop-into-someone-s-cons_195915.png) > ““Even if you did drop into someone's consciousness, you'd have all their memories and desires and hang-ups right there in front of you. And as you say, in an eternity you'd get the chance to know everything once enough time had passed. You'd become unable to judge anyone.' 'You'd end up being completely compassionate,' I said. 'You wouldn't be able to judge someone once you understood them and their motivations. You'd become them, like Rowan said, and so it would be like judging yourself.”” [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Understanding another's mind fully removes the distance that enables judgment, leading to profound compassion but also loss of personal boundaries. **In simple terms:** Knowing everything about someone eliminates judgment, fostering compassion. Key Takeaway Embrace empathy, but guard personal identity. Themes empathy identity judgment compassion Mood reflective thoughtful Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - psychotherapy - conflict resolution - personal relationships - leadership - education Key Concepts philosophy of mind ethical relativism Questions to Reflect On - How do you maintain self-identity while deeply empathizing? - Can unlimited compassion hinder necessary critique? A Different Perspective Such total empathy may erase self-distinction, making objective decisions difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Consciousness Memories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consciousness-memories-2059214/) [Drop Consciousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drop-consciousness-2059212/) [Enough time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough-time/) [Eternity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eternity/) [Judging yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judging-yourself/) [Like Judging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-judging-1381609/) [Like Rowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-rowan-2059213/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Judging people by appearances is like judging yourself by your own shadow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judging-people-by-appearances-is-like-judging-yourself-by-your-own/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [The moment one is on the side of life; peace and security drop out of consciousness. The only peace, the only security, is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/the-moment-one-is-on-the-side-of-life-peace-and-security-drop-out-of/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [I'm troubled by how much I like Rowan Williams. I think it reveals character flaws in myself that I'd rather not think about. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-webb/i-m-troubled-by-how-much-i-like-rowan-williams-i-think-it-reveals/) [Robert Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-webb/) > [Can anything good come of a backward way of thinking like judging someone based on skin color? No way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-mckay/can-anything-good-come-of-a-backward-way-of-thinking-like-judging/) [Adam McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-mckay/) > [To judge one without knowing one is like judging a foreign object just by looking at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-harden-me/to-judge-one-without-knowing-one-is-like-judging-a-foreign-object/) [Isaiah Harden (Me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah-harden-me/) > [Every person is like a book. Judging people is like judging a book by it's cover. When we read, we know the intricacies of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-person-is-like-a-book-judging-people-is-like-judging-a-book-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To judge a person by their weakest attribute is like judging the power of the ocean by 'one' wave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-presley/to-judge-a-person-by-their-weakest-attribute-is-like-judging-the/) [Elvis Presley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-presley/) > [To judge a man by his weakest link or deed is like judging the power of the ocean by one wave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-presley/to-judge-a-man-by-his-weakest-link-or-deed-is-like-judging-the-power/) [Elvis Presley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-presley/) > [People are like that, judging you before they know you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cohn/people-are-like-that-judging-you-before-they-know-you/) [Rachel Cohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cohn/) > [To judge a man's character by only one of its manifestations is like judging the sea by a jugful of its water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-eldridge/to-judge-a-man-s-character-by-only-one-of-its-manifestations-is-like/) [Paul Eldridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-eldridge/) > [I feel like everyone has been judging me based on 'Drip on My Walk,' and that's cool, but that was the fun record I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kodie-shane/i-feel-like-everyone-has-been-judging-me-based-on-drip-on-my-walk-and/) [Kodie Shane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kodie-shane/) > [Everyone's projecting onto you, or you feel like everyone is judging you. I feel like I'm being judged a lot of the time. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-moss/everyone-s-projecting-onto-you-or-you-feel-like-everyone-is-judging/) [Kate Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-moss/) > [When you're on set, you're like, 'Everyone's judging me because I'm the director, and everyone thinks I'm doing this because I just love myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taika-waititi/when-you-re-on-set-you-re-like-everyone-s-judging-me-because-i-m-the/) [Taika Waititi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taika-waititi/) > [Judging corporations for their political beliefs is like judging artists for their personal lives: Pointless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/judging-corporations-for-their-political-beliefs-is-like-judging/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“When (because there is no “if” about this) you are meditating and suddenly find yourself mixing up a batch of brownies or deciding whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-davich/when-because-there-is-no-if-about-this-you-are-meditating-and/) [Victor Davich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-davich/) ## More by Scarlett Thomas > [“Someone who has the delusion Glass, is made of, does not literally believe herself to be made of glass but rather feels fragile and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/someone-who-has-the-delusion-glass-is-made-of-does-not-literally/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [“Child, all books are magic. Just think,' he said, 'about what books make people do. People go to war on the basis of what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/child-all-books-are-magic-just-think-he-said-about-what-books-make/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [Living for ever would be like marrying yourself, with no possibility of a divorce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/living-for-ever-would-be-like-marrying-yourself-with-no-possibility/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [But I quite like the way you can talk about science without necessarily using mathematics, but using metaphors instead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/but-i-quite-like-the-way-you-can-talk-about-science-without/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [“My mind now has a celebration party and a funeral going on in the same room.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/my-mind-now-has-a-celebration-party-and-a-funeral-going-on-in-the/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [You can't do science in a novel, but you can do philosophy. Or, if you're really lucky, you can manage to pose a question…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/you-can-t-do-science-in-a-novel-but-you-can-do-philosophy-or-if-you/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [I erased the thought from my mind, but I couldn't undo the fact that I'd had the thought in the first place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/i-erased-the-thought-from-my-mind-but-i-couldn-t-undo-the-fact-that-i/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [“They really do have nothing in common on paper, these people and him. But yet there are so many common reference points; even some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/they-really-do-have-nothing-in-common-on-paper-these-people-and-him/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [“Aquinas wondered what would happen if God wanted to achieve universal resurrection. In other words, bringing everybody who had ever lived back to life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/aquinas-wondered-what-would-happen-if-god-wanted-to-achieve-universal/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [“There's something romantic about it, of course, in the way only other people's lives can be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/there-s-something-romantic-about-it-of-course-in-the-way-only-other/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [Routine kills creative thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/routine-kills-creative-thought/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [You tell them what a happy ending consists of, which is always individual success. You tell them that nothing irrational exists in this world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/you-tell-them-what-a-happy-ending-consists-of-which-is-always/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [I hate stereotypes and I hate cliche.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/i-hate-stereotypes-and-i-hate-cliche/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [“Not all events are stories.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/not-all-events-are-stories/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [“I have sometimes told people, probably wrongly, that there’s no point in writing at all if you don’t feel that there’s something you absolutely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/i-have-sometimes-told-people-probably-wrongly-that-there-s-no-point/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) [Explore all 81 Scarlett Thomas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) ## More Enough time quotes > [If I died If I died tonight would you notice? Would you even care? If I died tonight would you find it humorous? Would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-i-died-if-i-died-tonight-would-you-notice-would-you-even-care-if-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“God, you had enough time to have been through it three times. You've been through my stuff. I bet you over and let one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/god-you-had-enough-time-to-have-been-through-it-three-times-you-ve/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Lots of relationships fail because we spend more time pointing out each other's mistakes and not enough time enjoying each other's company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/lots-of-relationships-fail-because-we-spend-more-time-pointing-out/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“If you spend too much time thinking about doing something, you won’t ever have enough time to experience it or feel it. And feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-lister/if-you-spend-too-much-time-thinking-about-doing-something-you-won-t/) [Ann Lister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-lister/) > [When you're frustrated with people, when they've made you angry, it just may be because you haven't given them enough time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/when-you-re-frustrated-with-people-when-they-ve-made-you-angry-it/) [Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/) > [Man: You are all going to live... (Smith family cheers) Man: ... for 24 more hours. Which is just enough time for you to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/american-dad/man-you-are-all-going-to-live-smith-family-cheers-man-for-24-more/) [American Dad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/american-dad/) > [“Artists are never poor, they just don't get enough time to make money !”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brahmananda-patra/artists-are-never-poor-they-just-don-t-get-enough-time-to-make-money/) [Brahmananda Patra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brahmananda-patra/) > [We live a short enough time on this earth. A man should do what he loves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-tsukiyama/we-live-a-short-enough-time-on-this-earth-a-man-should-do-what-he/) [Gail Tsukiyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-tsukiyama/) > [“If you say something over and over again, it begins to lose it's meaning... Say anything enough times and it becomes gibberish.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/if-you-say-something-over-and-over-again-it-begins-to-lose-it-s/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [If you really like Someone, there's no such things as not haveing enough Time for them…!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-really-like-someone-there-s-no-such-things-as-not-haveing/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I’m worried that I haven’t said a lot of this very well, and that we don’t have enough time for me to tell you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-dibdin/i-m-worried-that-i-haven-t-said-a-lot-of-this-very-well-and-that-we/) [Emma Dibdin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-dibdin/) > [My loves in life are food, history and rugby. I'd love to be a history professor or a rugby player but I prefer rugby…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregg-wallace/my-loves-in-life-are-food-history-and-rugby-i-d-love-to-be-a-history/) [Gregg Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregg-wallace/) > [This is your life do wat you love, and do it often. if you don't like something, change it. if you don't like your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amiea/this-is-your-life-do-wat-you-love-and-do-it-often-if-you-don-t-like/) [Amiea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amiea/) > [I wish there were more minutes in an hour, more hours in a day, more days in a week, more weeks in a month,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-wish-there-were-more-minutes-in-an-hour-more-hours-in-a-day-more/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Satire is tragedy plus time. You give it enough time, the public, the reviewers will allow you to satirize it. Which is rather ridiculous,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/satire-is-tragedy-plus-time-you-give-it-enough-time-the-public-the/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) [Browse all 941 Enough time quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough-time/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Even if you did drop into someone's consciousness, you'd have all their memories and desires and hang-ups right there in front of you. And as you say, in an eternity you'd get the chance to know everything once enough time had passed. You'd become unable to judge anyone.' 'You'd end up being completely compassionate,' I said. 'You wouldn't be able to judge someone once you understood them and their motivations. You'd become them, like Rowan said, and so it would be like judging yourself.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Scarlett Thomas" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/even-if-you-did-drop-into-someone-s-consciousness-you-d-have-all/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Enough time" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/even-if-you-did-drop-into-someone-s-consciousness-you-d-have-all/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/488/scarlett-thomas-8232_enough-time_even-if-you-did-drop-into-someone-s-cons_195915.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/488/scarlett-thomas-8232_enough-time_even-if-you-did-drop-into-someone-s-cons_195915.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/488/scarlett-thomas-8232_enough-time_even-if-you-did-drop-into-someone-s-cons_195915.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Even if you did drop into someone's consciousness, you'd have all their memories and desires and hang-ups…” — Scarlett Thomas", "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": "Scarlett Thomas", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Even if you did drop into...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/even-if-you-did-drop-into-someone-s-consciousness-you-d-have-all/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/even-if-you-did-drop-into-someone-s-consciousness-you-d-have-all/#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 } } ] } ```