--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Humans all want to beat the clock but…" description: "\"Humans all want to beat the clock but nobody ever does.\" — Shirley Manson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a53/shirley-manson-6597_beats_humans-all-want-to-beat-the-clock-but-no_1694175.jpg" --- # Humans all want to beat the clock but nobody ever does. ![“Humans all want to beat the clock but nobody ever does.” quote by Shirley Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a53/shirley-manson-6597_beats_humans-all-want-to-beat-the-clock-but-no_1694175.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a53/shirley-manson-6597_beats_humans-all-want-to-beat-the-clock-but-no_1694175.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a53/shirley-manson-6597_beats_humans-all-want-to-beat-the-clock-but-no_1694175.jpg) > “Humans all want to beat the clock but nobody ever does.” [Shirley Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-manson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humans strive to outrun time, yet mortality is inevitable and time cannot be conquered. **In simple terms:** We try to beat time but cannot. Key Takeaway Accept life's limits. Themes mortality time human ambition Mood melancholic thoughtful Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - career deadlines - personal goals - aging - legacy planning - daily routines Key Concepts existentialism philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What does “beating the clock” mean to you? - How can you honor time without obsession? A Different Perspective Focusing on beating time can cause anxiety and neglect of present moments. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Clock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clock/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) ## Related quotes > ['Minute to Win It' is a variation on a game show from the 1950s called 'Beat the Clock,' in which contestants won washing machines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shales/minute-to-win-it-is-a-variation-on-a-game-show-from-the-1950s-called/) [Tom Shales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shales/) > [Don't watch the clock, do what it does. Don't stop keep going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/don-t-watch-the-clock-do-what-it-does-don-t-stop-keep-going/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [Don't watch the clock,do what is does.Keep going .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ismail/don-t-watch-the-clock-do-what-is-does-keep-going/) [Ismail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ismail/) > [Even a clock that does not work is right twice a day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/polish-proverb/even-a-clock-that-does-not-work-is-right-twice-a-day/) [Polish Proverb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/polish-proverb/) > [Don't watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/don-t-watch-the-clock-do-what-it-does-keep-going/) [Sam Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/) > [No one likes to be called anything actually, that's just what we humans want; a perfect impression of ourselves by others, but influenced by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramandeep-singh/no-one-likes-to-be-called-anything-actually-that-s-just-what-we/) [Ramandeep Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramandeep-singh/) > [“I no longer want to see others as humans. I want to learn to see others as brothers, sisters, mothers, & fathers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabbi-shaul-david-judelman/i-no-longer-want-to-see-others-as-humans-i-want-to-learn-to-see/) Rabbi Shaul David Judelman > [Humans see what they want to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/humans-see-what-they-want-to-see/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [“Humans can be anything you want, Only when alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arash-pakravesh/humans-can-be-anything-you-want-only-when-alone/) [Arash Pakravesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arash-pakravesh/) > [Humans want to know the hierarchy; it's important for there to be one leader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hartz/humans-want-to-know-the-hierarchy-it-s-important-for-there-to-be-one/) [Julia Hartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hartz/) > [What humans want most of all, is to be right. Even if we're being right about our own doom. If we believe there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/what-humans-want-most-of-all-is-to-be-right-even-if-we-re-being-right/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [What humans want is not just happiness. They want justice; they want meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-seligman/what-humans-want-is-not-just-happiness-they-want-justice-they-want/) [Martin Seligman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-seligman/) > [“Humans want peace, not war. But, sometimes war is needed to establish peace!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/md-ziaul-haque/humans-want-peace-not-war-but-sometimes-war-is-needed-to-establish/) [Md. Ziaul Haque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/md-ziaul-haque/) > [I wonder if birds want to drive as much as humans want to fly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/i-wonder-if-birds-want-to-drive-as-much-as-humans-want-to-fly/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [“Humans only see what they want to see, where they are in their minds, who they want to be”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-jace/humans-only-see-what-they-want-to-see-where-they-are-in-their-minds/) [Cameron Jace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-jace/) ## More by Shirley Manson > [I'm 45 years old. I used to be a club girl, but that's not my world anymore. That doesn't mean I can't make music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/i-m-45-years-old-i-used-to-be-a-club-girl-but-that-s-not-my-world/) [Shirley Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-manson/) > [There's nothing I've done that I feel a lot of regret over because I stuck to my guns, even when it got uncomfortable -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/there-s-nothing-i-ve-done-that-i-feel-a-lot-of-regret-over-because-i/) [Shirley Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-manson/) > [A lot of celebrities just want money, fame, power, fancy cars, houses all over the world and have people BOW DOWN to them. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/a-lot-of-celebrities-just-want-money-fame-power-fancy-cars-houses-all/) [Shirley Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-manson/) > [Selling millions of albums is a sign you've infiltrated the culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/selling-millions-of-albums-is-a-sign-you-ve-infiltrated-the-culture/) [Shirley Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-manson/) > [I love pop music. Who doesn't?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/i-love-pop-music-who-doesn-t/) [Shirley Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-manson/) > [I just want to live my life a little freely and not adhere to any schedule - just make music and have fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/i-just-want-to-live-my-life-a-little-freely-and-not-adhere-to-any/) [Shirley Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-manson/) > [That's a difficult question, because to consider yourself a rebel is sort of ridiculous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/that-s-a-difficult-question-because-to-consider-yourself-a-rebel-is/) [Shirley Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-manson/) > [The sensation of never feeling good enough or pretty enough will always be there. It's a constant dialogue, and you just learn to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/the-sensation-of-never-feeling-good-enough-or-pretty-enough-will/) [Shirley Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-manson/) > [We're living in a time when people are struggling to appear perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/we-re-living-in-a-time-when-people-are-struggling-to-appear-perfect/) [Shirley Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-manson/) > [I am not a sexy woman, I'm not beautiful, I'm not a sex kitten, I don't flirt with people, yet I've been tagged more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/i-am-not-a-sexy-woman-i-m-not-beautiful-i-m-not-a-sex-kitten-i-don-t/) [Shirley Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-manson/) > [Being a singer, being a performer, you have tricks, somehow, to calm yourself when things feel a little overwhelming. I don't do breathing exercises,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/being-a-singer-being-a-performer-you-have-tricks-somehow-to-calm/) [Shirley Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-manson/) > [I'm fairly in control and I don't like to flirt particularly. I mean, obviously if I meet someone who I think is hot, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/i-m-fairly-in-control-and-i-don-t-like-to-flirt-particularly-i-mean/) [Shirley Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-manson/) > [I wanted to put out a solo record because I was stuck on a major label and sick of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/i-wanted-to-put-out-a-solo-record-because-i-was-stuck-on-a-major/) [Shirley Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-manson/) > [I plan on doing as much in my life as I possibly can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/i-plan-on-doing-as-much-in-my-life-as-i-possibly-can/) [Shirley Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-manson/) > [In the '90s, the radio was still alive with all different kinds of points of view, and I think that's why people are longing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/in-the-90s-the-radio-was-still-alive-with-all-different-kinds-of/) [Shirley Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-manson/) [Explore all 98 Shirley Manson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-manson/) ## More Beats quotes > [Histories never conclude; they just pause their prose. Their stories are, if they are truthful, untidy affairs, resistant to windings-up and sortings-out. They beat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-schama/histories-never-conclude-they-just-pause-their-prose-their-stories/) [Simon Schama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-schama/) > [So many things beat upon us in a lifetime that simply enduring may seem almost beyond us… But the test a loving God has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/so-many-things-beat-upon-us-in-a-lifetime-that-simply-enduring-may/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [The Beat Generation, that was a vision that we had, John Clellon Holmes and I, and Allen Ginsberg in an even wilder way, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/the-beat-generation-that-was-a-vision-that-we-had-john-clellon-holmes/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [Certainly these are not easy times. But history does not contain very many easy times. Years from now, we will look back at this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingraham/certainly-these-are-not-easy-times-but-history-does-not-contain-very/) [Laura Ingraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingraham/) > [I usually write from the rhythm section...If a drummer got a funky beat on some things - like a half-shuffle or a shuffle or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-davis/i-usually-write-from-the-rhythm-section-if-a-drummer-got-a-funky-beat/) [Miles Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-davis/) > [If you don't like club beats take a HIT OF E and you will love the music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mccarty/if-you-don-t-like-club-beats-take-a-hit-of-e-and-you-will-love-the/) [Kevin McCarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mccarty/) > [Every pitcher can beat you, it doesn't matter how good you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-bonds/every-pitcher-can-beat-you-it-doesn-t-matter-how-good-you-are/) [Barry Bonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-bonds/) > [Only two to three per cent of an audience is interested in words and pays attention to lyrics; most of the rest of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stewart/only-two-to-three-per-cent-of-an-audience-is-interested-in-words-and/) [Al Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stewart/) > [Joel Lane documents a life we don’t quite live, in a city we can’t quite find: half glimpsed and half imagined, we know it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaz-brenchley/joel-lane-documents-a-life-we-don-t-quite-live-in-a-city-we-can-t/) Chaz Brenchley > [Practice to beat the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-bennett/practice-to-beat-the-best/) [Dick Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-bennett/) > [I don't know about the rest of the world, but I know in our region everyone is gunning to beat us. We have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/landon-donovan/i-don-t-know-about-the-rest-of-the-world-but-i-know-in-our-region/) [Landon Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/landon-donovan/) > [Grand business plans are all very well, but nothing beats dipping your toe in the water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-bilimoria-karan-bilimoria/grand-business-plans-are-all-very-well-but-nothing-beats-dipping-your/) Baron Bilimoria Karan Bilimoria > [Let a man who has to make his fortune in life remember this maxim: Attacking is the only secret. Dare and the world yields,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/let-a-man-who-has-to-make-his-fortune-in-life-remember-this-maxim/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Imagine if you were a drummer, and you accidentally picked up two magic wands instead of sticks. There you are, keeping the beat, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/imagine-if-you-were-a-drummer-and-you-accidentally-picked-up-two/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [I don't like small birds. They hop around so merrily outside my window, looking so innocent. but I know that secretly, they're watching my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-like-small-birds-they-hop-around-so-merrily-outside-my-window/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) Browse all 3,311 Beats quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Humans all want to beat the clock but nobody ever does.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Shirley Manson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/humans-all-want-to-beat-the-clock-but-nobody-ever-does/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Beats" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/humans-all-want-to-beat-the-clock-but-nobody-ever-does/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a53/shirley-manson-6597_beats_humans-all-want-to-beat-the-clock-but-no_1694175.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a53/shirley-manson-6597_beats_humans-all-want-to-beat-the-clock-but-no_1694175.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a53/shirley-manson-6597_beats_humans-all-want-to-beat-the-clock-but-no_1694175.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Humans all want to beat the clock but nobody ever does.” — Shirley Manson", "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": "Shirley Manson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-manson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Humans all want to beat the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/humans-all-want-to-beat-the-clock-but-nobody-ever-does/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/humans-all-want-to-beat-the-clock-but-nobody-ever-does/#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 } } ] } ```